


They Don't Teach You Love

by xXdreameaterXx



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-21 03:22:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 38,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6035980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xXdreameaterXx/pseuds/xXdreameaterXx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor thought that taking in his old college pal Joe, a professor who is teaching at the same university and who is unable to keep his hands off the female students, was the worst mistake of his life. But then Clara Oswald sets foot into his class and he is torn between his personal ethics and making an even bigger mistake when the race for Clara's heart is on. . . Professor/Student AU. Rated E for later chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ThatFuckerTucker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatFuckerTucker/gifts).



> This is a present for my Tumblr and Instagram pal officialmalcolmtucker (edit: since I now know your name on here I changed it) who wanted a university AU with the Doctor and a man who looks like Christoph Waltz being friends and teaching as professors at the same university. So if you need a visual, the Doctor's friend Johannes "Joe" Schmidt looks like Christoph Waltz. 
> 
> Also there might be hints of dub-con in this story that do not concern the main pairing (Twelve x Clara) but Joe x Students. I didn't want to tag the story like that because it really is just hinted at and not concerning the main pairing. If it still bothers you, don't read it.

The alarm clock tore him from his peaceful dream about a holiday on a beautiful beach and the Doctor opened his eyes, blinking a couple of times to get used to the light. For a moment he thought his eye sight had gotten a little bit worse as he couldn't read the writing on the large print that decorated his bedroom wall. He was getting old as the grey hair on his head and the wrinkles on his face showed and his eyes weren't making an exception. Slowly the Doctor rose from his bed and made his way downstairs into the kitchen to start the coffee maker. Classes had started again this week and for some reason the Doctor wasn't enjoying teaching as much anymore as he once had. Currently he was still blaming it on being constantly exhausted and annoyed by his friend's presence at his house. Once Joe had moved out again it could all go back to normal. _If_ he ever moved out again.  
Yawning the Doctor entered the kitchen and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the outline of a woman sitting at the table. He squinted his eyes.  
“Good morning,” the woman waved at him and only now the Doctor realized that he was wearing nothing but his underpants, “I'm Susie, I'm in your class about the writings of James I.”  
He blinked a couple more times, making sure that Susie wasn't just the product of his imagination and when the Doctor had determined that she wasn't he started yelling angrily.  
“ _JOE!_ ”

“What are you yelling at?” Joe asked him when he walked into the kitchen a few moments later and his face lit up at the sight of Susie, “Oh, you've made coffee. Excellent.”  
The Doctor wanted to wipe that ugly sneer off his friend's face as he grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the living room.  
“How many times have I told you,” he spat at him, keeping his voice low enough so Susie wouldn't hear it, “You don't bring students into my house!”  
Joe frowned at him. “Susie is still living with her parents and I could hardly fuck her at the university. You know Miss Saxon's views on that sort of thing.”  
“I don't give a damn where you. . . _do it_. But not in my house. It's the first week of college. How do you even. . . no, wait, I don't want to know. Get her out of here!”  
“You can't just kick her out, Doc. At least let her finish her breakfast, her thighs are as thin as matches. Have you _seen_ those thighs?”  
When Joe's face had taken on a dreamy look the Doctor gave him a soft smack on the back of the head. “You're a fucking pervert and I will personally report you to Missy if that girl isn't gone in 30 minutes.”  
“ _Oh man_ , not Missy Saxon. You know she has hated me since the first week of college.”  
“And with good reason and now get rid of Susie or you'll have to find yourself somewhere else to stay!”

Before Joe could even protest the Doctor had turned around and headed back upstairs to take a shower, hoping the student would be gone by the time he was done but once he stepped into the bathroom he realized that the shower was taken. With a sigh he bent down and picked up the large, white Maine Coon from out of the shower.  
“Hey Yoko, do you want to shower with me?” the Doctor asked gently as he stroked the cat's fur. She meowed at him in response, “Yeah, I didn't think so.”  
He carried her into his bedroom and sat her down on the bed where the cat immediately curled into a ball to continue her nap. In the past six years Yoko had been the Doctor's only companion – at least until his college friend Joe had showed up in front of his doorstep about half a year ago. They had met in their first semester at college and become friends immediately, probably due to their names. John Smith and Johannes Schmidt, it had been a good and funny joke back then. Even at college Joe had been a bit of a jerk, especially towards women. That was why the head of staff, Missy Saxon, another former college friend, was still mad at him to this day.  
The Doctor hadn't really heard from Joe in years, he only knew that he had gone back to his home town Vienna to teach – at least until he had been fired for immoral conduct, or to put it plainly, for sleeping with his female students. Luckily he had found a job at the same university the Doctor was teaching at and that was how he had one night opened his door to see Joe standing in front of it. And now it seemed his friend wasn't especially eager to leave. The Doctor was somehow torn about the matter. A part of him had been lonely for quite some time and thankful for the company, and another part couldn't wait to finally have the house to himself again, especially since Joe had a habit of bringing home women that seemed faintly familiar from one class or another. 

 

Luckily the kitchen was empty save for his friend when the Doctor went downstairs after a long, hot shower and a tasty looking breakfast was waiting for him. It wasn't always a bad thing to have Joe living with him. But still. . .  
“Joe, I think it's time you had another go at trying to find a flat. Or a house,” he said casually before taking a sip from his coffee. It was cold. “You can't keep bringing students into my home and I can't expect you to change, so the simplest solution would be for you to move elsewhere.”  
“I'm trying but have you seen the London realty prices lately?”  
“I'm not saying you have to move out immediately or take the first best thing you can find. I just want you to _look_. This was never meant as a permanent arrangement.”  
“Why?” his friend chuckled, “Are you afraid I'll interfere with your love life? Don't worry. I'll give you and your hand as much space as needed.”  
The Doctor glared at him in reply, almost saying something back but decided to just ignore it. Joe had always been rude and inappropriate and it wasn't as if being single bothered him very much. He had tried serious relationships, he had tried casual dating but he had never been able to find the right fit. By now the Doctor thought he was better off alone than with the wrong person.  
“Remind me again, why didn't it work out with you and Missy?” Joe asked, took a sip from his coffee and pulled a face when he realized the beverage was cold.  
“She hates cats,” the Doctor replied coldly.  
Four years ago Missy had become the head of staff at the university and that was when she and the Doctor had met again for the first time since college. They had both been single, they had both liked each other enough to go on a date. And then another. But when he had finally taken her home and Missy had seen his pet she had made it very clear that she wouldn't put her clothes anywhere in the proximity of cat hairs.  
“Maybe you should just go to work and look at what's right in front of you,” Joe suggested with a wicked grin, “And yes, I mean the students.”  
The Doctor groaned in reply. “For the 50th time – I will not date a student. What do I want with a 20-year-old? Not to mention that it's just _a little bit_ forbidden.”  
“Suit yourself,” Joe said as he rose from his seat, “I have to go to work. Class about Napoleon's attempt to _invade Russia_.”  
The way he said it made the Doctor cringe. “Stop making history sound like it's something dirty.”  
“History _is_ dirty. You're the Tudor specialist. Henry VIII totally knew what was up,” he replied before the door closed behind him. 

After finishing his breakfast the Doctor also decided that he might as well leave for work now, too. It was the first week of the semester and he hadn't yet memorized his classrooms and lecture halls and the campus was huge. On today's schedule were a 2 hour lecture on the history of the Tudors and Stuarts, followed by one class about the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn and another about Jane Grey. Today would be one of the more relaxed days and he hoped he would get at least a few interested and eager students.  
He arrived at the lecture hall much too early and was torn between retreating to his office to have an actually warm cup of coffee and simply waiting. He chose the first option.

Finally, when the time he was due to start was drawing closer the Doctor walked back to the lecture hall, now arriving just in time to start his lecture.  
“Good morning, everyone,” he greeted the sleepy looking mass in front of him, “Some of you probably know me already but for those who don't: I'm Professor Doctor John Smith. Yes, that's a long title so if you want to save yourself some breath you can call me the Doctor. Attendance here isn't obligatory but before you get up and leave you should know that I will not upload any files to this lecture except the texts I would like you to read. So if you're hoping to pass the exam at the end of the semester I would advise you to stay, listen, take notes – or borrow those of someone with a better handwriting – and actually read what I tell you to read and-”  
The Doctor was suddenly interrupted when the door to his left fell shut and he turned around. And froze.  
A small woman was standing in front of the door and the Doctor guessed that she was in her late 20s. He couldn't quite understand what was happening but all of a sudden his mouth felt a little dry, his palms were sweaty and his heart was attempting to jump out of his chest. He didn't even know what to say to her.  
“Sorry I'm late,” the woman bit down on her lip, smiling sheepishly at him in a way that made his knees feel weak, “It's my first week of college and I don't know where all the rooms are yet.”  
Still the Doctor couldn't find the words to answer her. This girl, woman, was so uniquely beautiful with her brown hair and her large, dark eyes, her round face and her tiny figure that it left him somewhat speechless. He hadn't felt like this in a very, _very_ long time.  
“Uhm,” he spluttered. Why was he spluttering? She was only another one of his students, it shouldn't be a problem to just tell her to sit down. “It's okay, erm, just sit down.”  
The Doctor finally tore his gaze from her which lifted the spell to some degree and pointed at the many empty seats in front of him. But then he couldn't help but watch as the woman walked up a couple of steps and took a seat next to a redhead that seemed to know her already.  
He knew he needed to continue his lecture, he had a schedule to stick to after all and he couldn't let a pretty face distract him. Something like this had never happened to him before and it unsettled him greatly. He had called his friend Joe a pervert this morning. Well, the Doctor guessed he was now a pervert as well for fancying one of his students. And fancy her he did. There was no denying that.


	2. Chapter 2

Clara Oswald hated being late but she wasn't really the one to blame for that. First her bus had been late, then she had been caught up in London's rush hour and on top of everything else not a single person she had asked about where she could find the lecture hall had been able to tell her. Everyone was new to college. Clara, technically speaking, wasn't. She would turn 29 in November and going back to university hadn't really been on her schedule but a shortness of history teachers had forced schools to become creative. Clara was now teaching English at Coal Hill three days a week and the other two she was back at university, taking classes to become a history teacher as well. Another one of her colleagues and friends, Amy Pond, had also used the opportunity to go back to college and Amy didn't answer her phone.  
Luckily Clara found herself standing in front of the right door only a few minutes after the lecture had started. She could hear the professor talking through the doors and he sounded rather strict, giving Clara half a mind to turn around and choose another class to attend. But she had signed up for this one, mainly because it was her favourite topic in English history and so she took a deep breath and stepped inside.  
“Sorry I'm late,” she mumbled sheepishly and looked at the professor who seemed a little confused by her sudden appearance, “It's my first week of college and I don't know where all the rooms are yet.”  
She bit down on her lip, trying to give the man her most innocent smile because she knew it would be unwise to make one of the most important professors hate her on her second day but it only seemed to confused him more. Right now she dearly hoped he wasn't the sort to throw students out whenever they were late for class. She had already heard that some of the professors acted like that.  
“Uhm,” he replied, apparently struggling to find the right words, “It's okay, erm, just sit down.”  
Clara nodded when he gestured towards the seats and immediately she spotted her friend Amy waving her at. Walking up a few steps she swiftly joined her friend. After taking out her pen and her notebook Clara soon realized that times had changed since she had gone to college. The majority of students was sitting in the lecture hall with either a laptop or a tablet in front of them. Maybe it was time for her to invest in a new one if it could make her new university experience easier.  
“That guy seems rather strict,” Amy leaned closed and whispered into her ear.  
“Yeah,” Clara replied absent-mindedly before she turned around to look at her friend, “Maybe you shouldn't be talking then, mh?”  
They both giggled for a moment before Clara regained her posture. She was here to learn and to finish her studies as quickly as possible so she could go back to teaching full time. The school paid for her further education but she was still determined to take it seriously even though her excitement abated a little at the sight of all those 20-year-olds. 

 

As she sat there, listening to the lecture about the early Tudor dynasty she couldn't help but notice that the professor who had asked the students to call him the Doctor seemed vaguely familiar. The name Professor Doctor John Smith rang a faint bell in her memory but that was probably no surprise. Lots of people were named John Smith. There was even one living in her apartment building. Yet Clara could have sworn she had seen that face somewhere before.  
Right after the Doctor had ended the lecture Clara got up and quickly packed her things.  
“What's your next class?” she asked Amy.  
“Oh, erm,” her friend checked her schedule, “Something about strikes in the 70s and 80s and the Winter of Discontent.”  
“Okay, mine's about the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn. I'm doing modern history next semester. Listen, I should hurry. The Doctor is teaching my next class, too, and I better ask him where the room is or I'm probably gonna be late again. See you after at the coffee shop before our class about the French Revolution?”  
“Sure,” Amy agreed.

Carefully Clara approached the desk at the front behind which the Doctor fiddled with some paperwork. She cleared her throat and he looked up. Somehow Clara got the impression that he didn't like her very much, maybe because she had been late to his lecture, but he quickly looked back down at his papers.  
“Erm, can I. . . can I help you with something?” he asked her. The Doctor seemed a little distracted or nervous even and it bugged Clara that he refused to look at her for more than a second.  
“I hope so,” Clara replied, “I'm in your next class about the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn. I was hoping you could show me where the room is. Like I said, I'm new.”  
She smiled at him even though he couldn't see it.  
“It's just up the right stairs, corridor to your left and then fourth door on the left,” the Doctor explained, stuffing his paperwork into his briefcase.  
“Or I could just follow you?” she suggested, “I really don't want to be late again.”  
Finally the Doctor straightened himself up, his mouth open as he looked at her. It was strange somehow, the way he acted and Clara dearly hoped that he wouldn't start hating her. She had the entire semester still ahead of her and making enemies on her second day really wasn't her intention.  
“Uhm, sure,” he agreed eventually, “Follow me.”  
Together they left the lecture hall and Clara followed the Doctor, always staying a few steps behind as they walked along the corridors when suddenly a dark haired woman approached him and he came to a halt. Clara, naturally, stopped behind him.  
“Missy,” the Doctor began, “What can I do for you?”  
“Your friend,” the woman called Missy spat, “I saw him leaving with a student yesterday. He isn't up to some funny business, is he?”  
“I have no idea what you're talking about,” he replied just a little too casually.  
“Oh yes, you do,” the woman said and stepped closer, raising a finger at him threateningly, “If I catch him getting intimate with as much as _one_ student he can pack up his office. I'm not joking. I'm really going to fire him.”  
The Doctor sighed. “Trust me, he knows that. But if it makes you feel any better I will remind him again.”  
“You better, Doctor. And you better not be lying to me,” Missy said as she started walking away.  
Only when the door to her office had closed behind the woman the Doctor resumed his walk. Clara couldn't help but giggle behind him.  
“You lied to that woman,” she remarked before she could stop herself.  
The Doctor turned around to look at her. “And how would _you_ know that?”  
“Because you've got the same tone in your voice as my kids when they lie to me. I can tell,” she explained.  
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Your kids?”  
“Oh,” Clara uttered, “Not _my_ kids. My students. I'm a teacher. Well, part time teacher, part time college student at the moment. They're in need of history teachers at my school so they offered some of us to go back to university and I took the chance.”  
The expression on the Doctor's face seemed somewhere between confused and nervous and Clara suddenly felt the need to apologize. “Sorry, I'm rambling.”  
“That's okay,” the Doctor replied before he turned back around and resumed his walk and Clara thought it would be best to remain silent until they had arrived at the classroom.  
When they finally stepped inside it was still empty except for the two of them. Wordlessly she sank into one of the seats in the front while the Doctor unpacked his papers on the desk. She watched him for a moment and still couldn't shake the feeling that he seemed utterly familiar.  
“I'm sorry, do I know you from somewhere?” she finally asked him to satisfy her curiosity.  
The Doctor looked up for a brief moment and then back at his desk. “No,” he replied simply.  
Clara frowned at him. “How can you be so sure? I'm certain I've seen you somewhere before.”  
“I just know,” he said, “I'm very good with faces.”  
Clara could tell that it was just another lie but she decided to let it go. The Doctor clearly didn't want to talk to her for some reason and she'd be damned if she forced a conversation on him that he didn't want to contribute to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the first comments :) Now, let's have a look at Clara's pov, shall we?


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor closed the door behind him, glad to finally be home and able to leave this day behind him. Yoko greeted him immediately, meowing furiously in her attempt to gain his attention. With a sigh the Doctor followed the impatient cat into the kitchen and filled her bowl with food before he heard the front door open again and Joe stepped inside.  
“What a day!” he complained, dropping his briefcase on the kitchen table and sinking down in a chair.  
“Missy approached me today,” the Doctor began and after seeing the look on his friend's face he groaned, “No, not about that. About _you_!”  
“ _Me_? What have _I_ ever done to her?”  
The Doctor shot him a dirty look. “Oh, I don't know,” he replied sarcastically, “Maybe it was the lewd remark about her breasts or the not so very subtle attempts to get her to sleep with you.”  
Joe groaned in reply. “That was, what? Over 30 years ago? Besides, she had no idea what she was missing out on. I just wanted the best for-”  
“Anyway,” he interrupted his friend, “She's got on eye on you. She knows you're sleeping with the students and she is waiting to catch you and if she catches you doing that sort of thing at my house she will have my head as well. So cut it out!”  
Joe snorted.  
“This isn't a joke,” the Doctor said angrily, “That woman wants to fire your arse and she's looking out for any indiscretions.”  
“Fine,” Joe spat, “I'll be careful.”

Shaking his head the Doctor left the kitchen to walk upstairs. It was simply no use trying to talk sense into Joe. His friend had always been like this and the Doctor was a fool to believe that he would ever change. He kicked off his shoes by the door and sank down on his bed with a long sigh. What a weird day it had been. Not only was his annoying friend still living with him but there was also the matter of his student. The Doctor knew her name now after they had all introduced each other at the beginning of his class about Anne Boleyn.  
Clara Oswald. Beautiful, smart Clara Oswald. The Doctor supposed that it could have been worse, he could have fancied a student that was fresh out of school. But still, late 20s and late 50s was one hell of an age gap. He _was_ a dirty pervert and he had probably made a complete fool out of himself in class. He couldn't help it, every time Clara had looked at him something in his brain had just shut off, leaving him completely blank and stammering and probably blushing as well. The Doctor let out a tired groan. He was old as his grey hair and wrinkles were proof of, a young woman shouldn't be able to unsettle him like this. But luckily he could make sure that was all she ever did. Never would he end up like his friend Joe.  
Suddenly he felt the bed sink next to him and a few seconds later Yoko approached him on quiet paws. The Doctor sighed again when he reached for the cat and pulled her on top of his chest where she started purring immediately.  
“It's not really fair, is it? I see a woman I like and she is not only my student but also young enough to be my own daughter.”  
Yoko uttered a sound of contentment as she curled up on his chest.  
“Yes, I know. I'm a pervert for even fancying her. Even if she wasn't my student, she'd probably laugh at me. But you should have seen her. Clara has eyes so dark you could drown in them,” the Doctor groaned, “Oh, silly, old fool. She most definitely has a boyfriend or maybe she's even married already. And why am I telling you all of this? You're a cat. You don't care.”  
The Doctor buried his hands in Yoko's fur and closed his eyes. In a week he would probably have forgotten all about Clara.

 

* * *

 

“I'm telling you, he _hates_ me,” Clara complained before she took a sip from her pint of beer. She had decided to join Amy and Rory at the pub after her classes to celebrate their first official week back at university.  
“Why would he hate you?” Amy asked her in confusion.  
“I don't know, maybe because I was late. But he got so weird when I tried to talk to him and he never even looked at me. And I could swear I've seen him before somewhere. I wish I could remember where it was.”  
“You're imagining things, Clara,” Amy said before she nudged Rory in the ribs, “Tell her she's imagining things.”  
Rory suddenly sat up straight and Clara got the impression that he had been about to fall asleep in his seat.  
“Sorry,” he mumbled, “I've been at the hospital since 6 this morning. What were you talking about?”  
“Clara thinks our professor hates her because he wouldn't look at her,” her friend explained to her fiancé.  
“Maybe he just had a bad day?” Rory suggested.  
“Anyway,” Amy continued, “What did you think about Professor Johannes Schmidt?”  
“Ew!” Clara pulled a face and her friend laughed at her expression, “He is seriously the slimiest, creepiest man I have ever met. Oh, and I overheard a conversation the Doctor had with a woman who works at the university. Apparently Schmidt is sleeping with his students, or at least the woman thinks he is.”  
“Mh, I wouldn't say it's impossible,” Amy agreed, “But wouldn't he get into trouble for that?”  
Clara nodded. “The woman seemed determined to catch him in the act. I personally couldn't imagine who in their right mind would want to sleep with _him_.”  
Amy smirked. “Maybe not Schmidt, but what about the Doctor? He doesn't look too bad for his age.”  
Whereas Amy was right with her last statement, sleeping with her professor was not on her schedule this time. Clara had done it once, back when she had been 22 but he had been younger and technically he hadn't even been her professor at all as she had never taken any of his classes. So she wasn't sure it even counted.  
“I'm not going to sleep with any of the professors and I think neither are you,” Clara replied, laughing and pointing in Rory's direction. He had his eyes closed again and his head was falling back against the wall.  
“We should probably go home,” Amy concluded, “See you at school tomorrow?”  
“I don't think that can be avoided,” Clara replied.

Once Clara had arrived at home she left her bag by her desk and headed straight for the shower. However her thoughts kept wandering back to her classes and, of course, to the Doctor. Why had he been so odd around her? Had it really been because of her late appearance to his class? If that was the case he could have just said so.  
Unable to put the day behind her Clara decided she could just as well do her homework for next week but once she had reached for her favourite book about Henry VIII she noticed the author's picture above the blurb and finally it dawned on her. Her professor, the Doctor, was the author of her favourite book about her favourite historical topic. A smile appeared on her face when she suddenly saw a new way to make him like her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so very, very much for the comments, guys :)


	4. Chapter 4

He had been wrong. So, so wrong. When the Doctor had thought he would have forgotten all about Clara by the next week he had only been half right. He thought about her the next day and the day after that but as soon as the weekend was over Clara had almost completely vanished from his head. She was just a student with a pretty face, nothing more. No reason to lose his head over it.  
However when he stepped into the lecture hall and saw Clara Oswald sitting there next to her friend in one of the front rows his heart missed a beat. Why her? Why now? And why couldn't the Doctor just shake off this feeling? It wasn't as if he never looked at his students. He was a man and he had eyes. Of course he had considered some of them pretty or even beautiful before but no one had ever flustered him like the damned Clara Oswald. The Doctor took a deep breath and decided to ignore the hammering inside his chest as he reached for his notes and started the lecture, staring at all other points in the room save for the front rows. How he was going to get through the next class he didn't know yet.

After 90 minutes of talking his mouth already felt dry and he took a sip from the glass of water on his desk before he turned back around to pack up his things when he saw her standing right next to him.  
“Do. . . do you need help finding the room again?” the Doctor stammered nervously, turning away from Clara as quickly as possible. Why couldn't she just leave him alone?  
“Actually, no. I remember the way,” out of the corner of his eye he saw her smile and he felt a little as if he was being stabbed in the stomach, “I figured out where I've seen you before. You were right. We haven't met but I've definitely seen you.”  
Clara Oswald produced a book from out of her bag that was all too familiar to him. In her hands she held his greatest accomplishment, his accumulated research about Henry VIII that had taken him 7 years to put together. The Doctor remembered writing it all too well and probably a little too fondly. After this book teaching just hadn't been the same. As much as he loved his work and helping young people gain knowledge and sharing his own knowledge with them, writing this book had been his dream come true and he had enjoyed it from start to finish, no matter how often he had cursed over his own writing.  
“You. . . uhm. . . you've read that?” he asked, pointing at the volume in her hands.  
“Read?” Clara cocked an eyebrow at him before she started laughing, “I've devoured it. The Tudors are my favourite subject in English history and yours is the best book that has ever been written about Henry VIII. I've read it at least 4 times.”  
“What? The entire thing?” he blurted out in disbelief.  
“Of course the entire thing,” she replied, smiling, “It's so well researched and your writing is excellent. It's very easy to read for a scientific work. And I loved how you always distinguished so clearly between what can be proven and what are only just theories. I've read other books about the subject, so I can tell you that's not always the case. I have to admit, I even looked up the original theories by other historians that you quoted.”  
The Doctor didn't know what to say to her so he just stood there and felt the heat slowly rise into his cheeks. By now he was sure that he was blushing furiously. Not just because of what Clara had said to him but also because she smiled right at him and he knew that smile was one of admiration and only meant for him.  
“Uhm, thanks,” the Doctor finally said after he had realized that Clara was waiting for an answer.  
Clearly that wasn't what she had wanted to hear. A tiny frown appeared on her face before she quickly looked away, avoiding his gaze.  
“I should go,” she said, “Don't wanna be late for your class.”  
The Doctor opened his mouth to speak. He wanted to apologize, to thank her, maybe even tell her how marvellous she was but he couldn't get a single word out and soon enough she had turned around and left the lecture hall. With a sigh the Doctor looked around the empty room. It was going to be one very long semester. 

 

* * *

 

The Doctor was about to pull out the key to his house when suddenly the front door opened already and Joe stepped outside. He closed the door behind him and positioned himself in a way that made it impossible for the Doctor to go inside.  
“Don't freak out,” Joe warned him.  
The Doctor raised his eyebrows in suspicion. “What's wrong now?”  
“Well,” his friend dragged out the word.  
“Well what?”  
“I may or may not have company.”  
The Doctor groaned in frustration. “Jesus Christ, Joe,” he cursed, “I told you, Missy is going to fire you and me as well if she finds out I knew about it.”  
“Then I suggest you go right upstairs and don't look left or right and we can all pretend you haven't seen a thing.”  
“Who's it this time?” the Doctor asked, expressing his annoyance through his voice or at least hoping that Joe would catch up on it.  
“Well, I must say. There are some _really_ cute women in my class about the French Revolution. On today's schedule is Melanie and she's-”  
“Stop,” the Doctor said, “That's enough information for me. I'll be in my room.”

He made his way past his friend but his initial instinct to walk right upstairs was thrown off course when he was greeted by a friendly voice.  
“Hello Doctor,” Melanie said happily, “Are you going to join us for a drink?”  
The Doctor couldn't help but laugh. “Oh, are you going to offer me one of my own drinks in my own house?”  
For a moment the student was too baffled to say anything. Joe, however, wasn't.  
“Please, don't be rude to her.”  
“Have you fed Yoko?” the Doctor asked to change the topic.  
“Oh, the cat is yours?” Melanie asked, her face lighting up, “I gave her some of the cat food that was next to her bowl. She is _gorgeous_.”  
“Yes,” the Doctor agreed with a light smile while he headed in the direction of the stairs, “She is.”

As soon as he was inside his bedroom the Doctor closed the door behind him and took a deep breath. He needed to get rid of Joe as soon as possible or he would go mad. Just how he had managed to refrain from killing his friend in the past six months the Doctor couldn't say. He took off his shoes and jacket before he joined the sleeping cat on his bed and started stroking her fur. She purred in response.  
“I think I was a little rude to Clara today,” he confessed to his cat, “But not on purpose. She just. . . I don't know. I can't really think straight when she's around and I start acting like a shy, insecure 15-year-old.”  
Yoko nuzzled her head against his palm.  
“I hope this goes away soon. I'm afraid I'm not doing a very good job as her professor and soon enough there'll be private consultations with the students for their essays. She must think I'm an idiot.”  
Suddenly the Doctor was interrupted by a noise and he looked up to try to determine where it was coming from. His suspicion was soon confirmed when he heard a woman moan, following by some more grunting and the sound of furniture being banged against a wall.  
“Great,” the Doctor muttered sarcastically, “Just great.”  
He turned his head towards Yoko who seemed utterly unimpressed by the noise. “Can't you scratch his eyes out or something?”  
The cat meowed.  
“Yeah, you're right. I should just kick him out but a little help from you wouldn't hurt,” the Doctor sighed and settled back in his pillows, trying his best to ignore the sounds coming from the other room – and failing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for your lovely comments :) I realize it's a little slow burn but if it makes you feel better: yesterday I wrote the chapter in which they sort of agree to a date. Okay, yeah, technically the way I put it it's a lie but you'll just have to wait and see :D


	5. Chapter 5

After she had finished talking to the shop assistant Clara felt sure she had made the right decision. Deciding against buying a new laptop and instead carrying a tablet, a suitable case and a fitting keyboard for it under her arm she headed towards the music aisle. Overall everything had been cheaper than she had expected and so Clara thought she might as well indulge in a new CD. However once she had turned around the shelf she saw an all too familiar man bending over the letter C. The Doctor hadn't seen her yet so Clara could still just turn around a leave. But at exactly this moment he looked up – and right at her.  
“Hi,” Clara greeted him with a smile because she had no idea what else to do now. Running away clearly wasn't an option anymore – or at least not a polite one.  
The Doctor seemed a little too stunned to reply at first but eventually he opened his mouth and greeted her as well.  
“Uhm, hello,” he replied.  
Clara was faced with two options. She could end this awkwardness and leave or try to make small talk and hope it would help the Doctor get over the aversion he had for her. She still had the entire semester ahead of her and she hated the fact that one of her professors was acting so strangely around her only because she had been late to one class. So Clara decided she would take the second option.  
“Loud neighbours?” she asked, nodding towards the noise cancelling headphones he was obviously going to buy.  
The Doctor looked down at his hand, appearing confused for a moment. “Oh, that. No,” he said and finally looked at her, smiling shyly, “Unfortunately I've got a loud flatmate at the moment.”  
“Oh dear. I've done flatmates, too. Back when I first went to college. _Not_ my thing. I hope for your sake that they're really as noise cancelling as they say in the ad.”  
“Uhm, thanks.”  
An awkward silence spread over the two of them and Clara took a deep breath.  
“I'm sorry,” Clara apologized, “I should go. I know you don't like me, I shouldn't have talked to you.”  
Just when Clara had turned around to walk away she heard the Doctor speak again and looked back at him.  
“What makes you think I don't like you?” he stood there, frowning at her, looking so utterly confused that Clara almost felt sorry for him.  
“Well, don't you?” she asked him, “I thought it was because I was late to your first lecture that you were holding a grudge.”  
“No,” the Doctor said, shaking his head.  
At first Clara felt relieved but when she came to think about it it just made everything even weirder than it had been before. It crossed Clara's mind that maybe it was just the way he was, a little strange, not so very good in social situations. She had never seen him talk to another student so she really couldn't tell.  
“You still need some music to listen to on those headphones,” Clara finally said and turned towards the shelf. Then she spotted an album by Creedence Clearwater Revival and pulled it out, holding it in the Doctor's direction. “Here, this should do.”  
“Mh,” he replied, “I still remember when that came out.”  
“I don't,” Clara said with a shrug and for the first time he actually laughed.  
She placed the CD back where she had found it and walked a little further until she saw what she had been looking for. The next CD she showed him was one by The Doors that Clara owned herself.  
“How about this one? Do you remember this as well?”  
“As a matter of fact, I do,” the Doctor said but nevertheless he took the CD from her hand, “Can't say I've listened to them in a while.”  
The Doctor looked at her and for a moment Clara thought he was going to smile again. “You've got a great taste in music. For someone your age. I thought it was all Eminem and Jennifer Lopez nowadays.”  
Clara couldn't help but burst into laughter. “Eminem and Jennifer Lopez? Under what rock have you been living the past 10 years? I'm a teacher so I know a little about what kids listen to these days and it's _not_ Eminem and Jennifer Lopez.”  
“What do they listen to then?” the Doctor asked, seeming a little irritated.  
She sighed and took a couple of steps forward, scanning the shelf for a certain singer she quite enjoyed. Once Clara had found it she handed it to the Doctor.  
“Lana Del Rey is not too bad, a lot of kids like her. You should give it a go.”  
The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her. “ _Born To Die_? That sounds cheerful,” he replied sarcastically, “Alright, I'll give it a try. If I hate it I'll just deduct points from your essay.”  
“Deal,” Clara replied with a smile, “I should probably go and pay now. Got a tablet. Apparently you need one of those for college these days.”  
“Yeah, I've heard that, too,” he said.  
“I'm looking forward to the next lecture,” Clara said before she headed towards the checkout. She couldn't be entirely sure but she thought she heard the Doctor mumble something once she had started walking away.

 

* * *

 

To his surprise the house was empty when the Doctor stepped inside – except of course for Yoko who, as usual, demanded to be fed immediately. As soon as he had filled the bowl the Doctor settled with his back against the kitchen counter and looked down at his cat.  
“You will never believe who I've met while I was shopping today,” the Doctor said, “And she is perfect. I'm not kidding. She really is.”  
“Who is perfect?” Joe asked, suddenly appearing out of nowhere, making the Doctor jump away from the kitchen counter in surprise.  
“Uhm, no one,” he lied, “The new cat tree I'm gonna buy for Yoko.”  
“The cat tree's a she?” his friend asked absent-mindedly as he opened the fridge but then he looked back up at the Doctor, “Hey, it's Saturday. What do you say to a traditional guy night?”  
The Doctor blew the air out of his lungs. “Does a traditional guy night involve going out, getting drunk and chasing women much too young for us?”  
“I was actually thinking about a beer and football on telly but if you'd prefer the other option I'm in,” Joe grinned at him.  
“Actually, can we do that another day? I feel more like giving these a listen,” the Doctor pointed at the CDs on the counter, “And finishing the book I'm reading.”  
Joe shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

The Doctor sighed. Moping alone in his room about a woman he could never have to music that by the title alone sounded depressing wasn't going to get him anywhere.  
“How about a compromise,” the Doctor suggested, “Beer, football and my laptop on which we are going to see if we can find you a nice house or flat.”  
“Fine by me,” Joe replied, “As long as there's beer and football.”  
“Okay. You get the beer, I get the laptop.”  
“Actually,” his friend interrupted him, “Your laptop's in my room. I'll go and get it. And I'll delete the browser history, too.”  
As soon as Joe was out of the kitchen the Doctor took another long breath to keep himself from yelling. His friend moving out was definitely more than overdue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments!!!!!!


	6. Chapter 6

“Where did you say Rory was tonight?” Clara asked when she stepped out of the kitchen, carrying two mugs of tea to the coffee table in the living room before falling down on the sofa next to Amy.  
“Stag night,” her friend replied, reaching for one of the mugs and blowing on the hot beverage, “One of his colleagues from the hospital is getting married tomorrow.”  
“Are you going?”  
Amy rolled her eyes. “I have to, unfortunately. The invitation was for Rory plus one. I don't even know these people.”  
“Well,” Clara replied with a shrug as she grabbed her own mug, “At least we get a girl's night out of this.”  
“True.”  
A silence spread over the two of them as they started sipping their tea until Amy suddenly noticed something.  
“Oh, you bought a tablet,” she said, pointing at the box that Clara had so far only set down on her desk, telling herself she could still figure out how to set it up and use it tomorrow, “How modern of you.”  
“Yeah, I figured I could use one in class,” Clara paused, wondering whether she should tell Amy about her encounter at the electronics shop or not. And then decided to just do it. “I met the Doctor at the shop.”  
“So?”  
“Sooooo,” Clara said, “We talked and it was weird. _He_ is weird.”  
Her friend frowned at her, taking another gulp from the tea. “I don't think he's weird. I ran into him after my other classes on Wednesday. He said hello, smiled, I said hello back.”  
“Well, he's weird towards me and I asked him. I asked him whether he hated me because I was late for his first lecture and he said no.”  
Amy started to giggle. “Why does it even bother you? He's just your professor and even if he disliked you for that, I'm sure he's enough of a professional not to give you a bad grade because you were late to _one_ class.”  
“It bothers me because he won't even look at me, because whenever I speak to him I get an answer consisting of one or two words or no answer at all, because he is my professor and we still have the entire semester ahead of us,” Clara said agitatedly, “He hates me for some reason and it is unprofessional of him to show it.”  
“Clara,” Amy said, still giggling, “Do you have a crush on him?”  
“ _What?!_ ”  
“You have to admit you care a lot about what he thinks of you. You even brought his book and told him how much you loved it. You're almost desperately trying to make him like you.”  
“For the record, I am not desperately trying to make him like me. I just think it's unfair that he doesn't. I'm one of his students and he shouldn't make it so obvious that he hates me. And no, I do not have a crush on him,” Clara replied defensively.  
She didn't. She really didn't. The Doctor was her professor and she wasn't interested in a relationship of that sort, apart from the important fact that it wasn't even allowed and the Doctor would never lay a hand on one of his students because of that. She admired him, yes, because he had written her favourite book about her favourite subject in history and his classes and lectures were definitely the most fun of all those she was taking this semester. But that was all there was to it. Amy however didn't quite seem to believe her, judging by the look on her friend's face.  
“ _If_ I have a crush on him, which I won't admit to, it is purely academical,” Clara insisted, “He is great at what he does and you can't blame me for noticing that.”  
With a sigh Amy leaned back against the sofa but the smile was still stuck on her face. 

 

* * *

 

“No, no, _NO_ ,” Joe said, pointing at one of the pictures, “This place needs a thorough renovation from basement to attic. I don't have the patience for that.”  
The Doctor groaned in defeat. “You can still stay here while the place is being renovated and the company I hired to do my house a few years ago wasn't that expensive. Besides, the house is cheap and just half an hour away from the campus.”  
After receiving a dirty look from his friend the Doctor scrolled on, stopping at another place that was only a couple of streets away. It was a bit more expensive but also in better shape.  
“How about this one? That's nice.”  
“That's a boring house in a boring neighbourhood.”  
“It looks exactly like my house and it's in the exact same neighbourhood,” he replied dryly.  
“Yeah, what I said,” Joe sighed and reached for the laptop, pulling it in his direction, “I've had enough of this for tonight. Now we're going to do something interesting.”  
“If by interesting you mean involving naked women then the answer is no, not on my laptop.”  
“I hope it will at a later point, for your sake,” Joe grinned at him.  
“What the hell are you doing on my laptop?” the Doctor demanded to know, the annoyance all too audible in his voice.  
“Something nice. Something even you can't think of as a bad thing and now hush,” his friend replied, “Go get us another beer while I do this.”

Defeated the Doctor rose from the sofa and walked in the direction of the kitchen. He opened the fridge when he suddenly heard Joe call from out of the living room.  
“Do you have any pictures of yourself on this thing? Oh, wait, nevermind, found some.”  
“What in God's name are you up to?” the Doctor called back.  
“Something you'll like!”  
“I sincerely doubt that,” he muttered under his breath while grabbing two more beers and slowly made his way back into the living room. He found his friend grinning proudly at the laptop.  
“Congratulations,” Joe said with a wide grin, “You just made your first friend on Facebook.”  
The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “I am not on Facebook.”  
“Well, you are _now_.”

Joe turned the laptop in the Doctor's direction and he took a closer look. Well, his friend hadn't been lying because he had just created a Facebook account for him. It had his name on it, a relatively decent picture of him and Yoko even though the Doctor thought he looked a little dishevelled in it with his tousled bed hair and stubble, there was the name of the university as his workplace and of course Johannes Schmidt as the only friend on his list.  
“You need to complete it though. Where you went to school, what movies, books and music you like and you need to add people you know,” his friend explained to him.  
“I know how Facebook works,” the Doctor replied grumpily. There had been a reason for him not to have an account on that website. He wasn't really keen on his students finding him. Although. . .  
The Doctor frowned at him. “But how could a Facebook account possibly lead to naked women?”  
“Well, you'll meet new people. Possibly female people.”  
“Thanks,” the Doctor snapped, closing the lid of the laptop, “I think I'll finish that in my room. Alone. Before you give me some weird hobbies that you think will attract women.”

The Doctor grabbed the laptop and walked up the stairs. After a long shower and changing into his pyjamas he settled under the duvet, careful not to disturb Yoko sleeping on top of it, and opened up the laptop again. What he was about to do was technically stalking and he knew he probably shouldn't do it at all but curiosity eventually got the better of him and he clicked the search bar, typing “Clara Oswald” just a moment later. A lot of people came up but after a bit of scrolling he finally spotted a familiar face and a smile spread over his lips. Her profile picture was as cute as she was in real life, showing her on holiday in Scotland with a large backpack strapped onto her back. When he clicked on it he noticed a comment made by another familiar person, Amelia Pond, that said “That was a wonderful trip. We should definitely do it again xxx.”  
When the Doctor looked further through her profile his earlier suspicion was confirmed. Not only did she have an excellent taste in music but also books and movies, some of them were even his favourites as well. Suddenly his daydream was interrupted by Yoko nuzzling her head against his arm.  
“Yes, Yoko, you're right. I'm an idiot and a pervert and I'll stop now.”  
Quickly he moved back to the main page of the website, vowing to never look at Clara's profile again. He was falling for her and that was something that couldn't happen, even though he had definitely noticed that her relationship status said “single”.  
The Doctor reached for the CD that Clara had recommended to him and inserted it in the laptop's CD drive, listening to it while finishing to set up his Facebook profile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so, so, SO much for your sweet comments everyone. They make me so happy :)


	7. Chapter 7

The next lecture went by without further weird incidents and so did the class about Anne Boleyn, probably mainly because the Doctor was ignoring Clara to the point that he didn't even look at her. Whenever she raised her hand to answer one of his questions he let someone else reply and it was beginning to fuel her anger. They had had a normal conversation, well, normal for their standards when they had met at the electronics shop, so why was he continuing to act like this? What exactly was his problem? Clara had half a mind to stand up and ask him about it but eventually she thought better of it. She would speak to him once the class was over.  
When the Doctor ended the class Clara packed her things quickly, determined to catch him before he even had the chance to leave the room but when she looked up she saw that someone else had been faster. The professor teaching her next class, Johannes Schmidt, was standing next to him and he seemed mad at the Doctor for some reason.  
“Can you tell me why I'm getting calls from real estate agents to confirm the appointments for house viewings that I can't remember making?” she overheard the other professor say to the Doctor.  
“Well, you thought you were doing something nice for me by creating a Facebook account in my name. I thought I'd do something nice in return and made a few appointments in yours. Don't worry, I took your schedule into account.”  
“I haven't even seen these houses!” Johannes Schmidt argued.  
“That's what the appointments are for and-”  
“Clara Oswald,” professor Schmidt suddenly said when he noticed her staring at the two of them. He put on a disgustingly large smile. 

The Doctor shot around and seemed a little embarrassed to have been caught arguing with another professor but he quickly regained his posture.  
“Clara,” he blurted out, “Can I do something for you?”  
“Actually,” Johannes Schmidt interrupted him, still smiling, “I wanted to ask _you_ something, Miss Oswald.”  
“Me? Why?” Clara asked, confused by the sudden turn this conversation was taking.  
“In light of the test that I'm going to have all of you from my French Revolution class write next week I thought I'd give some of my more interested students the chance for a good grade in a little,” he paused, the expression on his face changed, becoming just a little more sly, “Study group on Saturday.”  
“A study group? _On Saturday?_ ” she raised her eyebrows.  
“Yes. I do this from time to time. Susie, Melanie and Jennifer have already agreed to come. You can ask your friend Amy to join us. We could all go to the pub and discuss the test in a more relaxed atmosphere.”  
“Joe,” the Doctor suddenly said, sounding a little angry. Clara almost took it for a warning and the Doctor's disapproval nearly had her agree to go on the spot.  
Professor Schmidt sighed. “I'm only doing this because I know you're all interested, hard-working students and I'm offering you the chance for a better grade. You can say no, of course. I know you're a part time teacher and probably very busy. It's just an offer but I'm sure you would enjoy some intelligent conversations.”  
Clara wasn't sure what to reply. The general idea of talking about an interesting class with her professor and a few other students didn't sound too bad and she really wanted a good grade on the test but something about his offer and especially the way professor Schmidt looked at her seemed fishy. And then there was the Doctor's disapproving, almost angry stare. And he appeared to have sensed her discomfort.  
“Joe, leave her alone,” the Doctor told him calmly, “Maybe she's already got plans for Saturday or doesn't want to spend time with her professor after classes.”  
“You can come, too, if you like, Doctor,” professor Johannes Schmidt giggled mockingly and Clara was beginning to hate this entire situation. Schmidt's suggestions, the Doctor's attempts to protect her when she clearly didn't need protection and all of a sudden she found herself agreeing.  
“It's okay. I'll come and I'll bring Amy as well. What pub and what time?” she asked just to end the conversation.  
“I thought the Skinners Arms at 7.”  
“I'll be there, too,” the Doctor stepped in, confusing not only Clara with his answer but obviously the other professor as well because Johannes Schmidt turned around and gawked at him. But Clara didn't have time to think about it any further. A look at her watch told her that both she and her professor were close to being late to the class about the French Revolution.  
“I should go now,” Clara said, grabbed her bag and left the room before either of the men could say another word. She really just needed to get away from this mess right now.

Clara hurried through the corridors until she spotted Amy waiting in front of the closed door along with the other students. She also spotted the three other students invited and Clara couldn't tell what exactly they had in common with her and Amy except that they were all students and female and pretty. Melanie and especially Susie didn't exactly belong to the hard-working kind of students.  
“I hope you don't have plans for Saturday night,” Clara greeted her friend.  
“Apparently I have now,” Amy smiled, “What are we doing?”  
“We are going to the pub with some other students, professor Schmidt and the Doctor and don't ask me why. I acted on impulse.”  
“What?” Amy blurted out, “Clara, what have you done?”  
She sighed, the realisation of what she had actually agreed to only striking her now. Not only would she have to spend the evening with professor Schmidt, but as it seemed with the Doctor as well, the man that disliked her for some reason. The man that had agreed to come after learning that she would be there. It made no sense at all. “I don't know. Professor Schmidt offered some of his students to talk about the class to make the test easier for us. The Doctor was acting weird again, like he was really against the idea so I agreed we would come because it annoyed me. And then the Doctor said he would come as well.”  
Clara let out a tired groan. “Amy, what have I done?”  
Amy smiled down at her. “So, the Doctor said he would also be joining us after you had agreed?”  
“Yes.”  
“Mh, interesting,” her friend muttered.  
“Don't even start on that again. No one here has a crush on anyone. I bet it's something between the two professors,” Clara reasoned.  
“I guess we'll see on Saturday.”

 

* * *

 

“You never come to the pub with me, especially not when I'm bringing students!”  
The Doctor groaned. “Well, there's a first time for everything. Missy watches your every move and I can't let you get into trouble. It looks less suspicious and more like an actual study group if we're both there.”  
Joe laughed. “If you're thinking about cockblocking me, forget it. I've had my eyes on Clara Oswald since she stepped into my class. She's a dream of a woman and she seems feisty,” his friend smirked, “I do love a challenge.”  
The Doctor had to refrain from punching him. His friend saw nothing but a conquest in Clara and the Doctor would do everything in his power to prevent Joe from hitting on her. At first he had been positive that Clara didn't even like his friend but after she had agreed to come to the pub the Doctor wasn't quite as sure anymore. If it was up to him he would allow his friend to fuck every single student currently enrolled but not his Clara. Yet instead of punching him the Doctor only glared.  
“What?” Joe asked.  
“Nothing,” the Doctor grumbled in reply, “Aren't you late for a class or something?”  
Suddenly his friend cocked at eyebrow at him.  
“You don't happen to fancy Clara Oswald, do you?”  
“Oh, don't be ridiculous,” he said and averted his eyes so Joe couldn't even try to read the truth from them, “You know my rules about the students.”  
“Yeah, well, the libido doesn't usually follow rules, Doc,” Joe said and when the Doctor failed to reply he retreated and left the room.  
Once alone the Doctor took a deep breath. Maybe his friend was right, maybe it really was just his libido playing tricks on him. Despite their overlapping taste in music and books the first thing he had noticed about Clara had been her lovely face and that was probably all there was to it. He could fight that urge. He could ignore it until it went away. But spending an evening at the pub with Clara surely wouldn't be helpful but now that he had agreed to it he could hardly chicken out again. Besides, he had to keep an eye on Joe. And Clara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments. They make my day :)))  
> Now, I bet you're all curious what will happen at the pub, right? ;)


	8. Chapter 8

The Doctor knew he had been grumpy all day and that Joe was beginning to notice his mood but he didn't care. Going to the pub with his friend to meet Clara was anything but a good idea and leaving Joe alone with her was an even worse one. So the Doctor put on a nice shirt, a casual jacket and let his friend drag him into one of his most hated places of all time: a dirty, noisy, stinking pub. He was going to regret this evening for sure.  
A familiar face was already waiting for them at one of the sticky looking tables and the Doctor immediately recognized Susie from that morning at his house two weeks ago. Soon enough they were joined by Melanie and Jennifer and the Doctor leaned back in his chair while Joe immediately started chatting up the one girl he so far hadn't slept with. Maybe the Doctor would be lucky. Maybe Clara had changed her mind and wouldn't show up at all. She had been insecure about agreeing to this in the first place. Maybe. . . just maybe. But when the pub door opened once more the Doctor could feel his heart sink as Clara and her friend stepped inside. She looked so beautiful tonight that he found it hard to even look away for a second and yet he had to force himself to do it.  
“Hi,” Clara said coyly, waving at the lot of them whereas Amy seemed a little bolder, greeting everyone in her usual bubbly manner before she sat down at the table.  
“Oh, Clara, I've reserved a spot for you,” Joe said with a grin, pointing at the seat to his right. After a moment of hesitation she sat down next to him and the Doctor growled internally. Not that he wanted to sit right next to her, that wouldn't be good at all. But now she was placed right across the table and whether he wanted to or not, he now had to look at her on some occasions, even if he felt as if his body was being pierced whenever he did it.  
Joe ordered a pint for everyone, promising that the first round would be on him and the Doctor took a sip from his beer once it arrived, glad to finally have something else to busy himself with. While Jennifer seemed glued to his friend's lips as he spoke about the weather and traffic the rest of the group seemed awfully quiet.  
“You teach English, don't you?” Joe suddenly said, turning towards Clara, “That's one thing we have in common.”  
“How so?” Clara raised an eyebrow.  
“Well, in case you haven't noticed – I teach as well,” he grinned and the Doctor quickly looked away again, unable to watch that look on his friend's face while he was hitting on Clara.  
“So does Amy,” she replied coldly, “We teach at the same school. I'm English, she's Geography.”  
“Oh, so you probably like to travel a lot?” he asked, sounding a lot more interested than he probably was. Amy wasn't his target. Clara was.  
“When I find the time. This summer I left my fiancé at home and Clara and I went hiking in the Scottish Highlands,” Amy said happily, “It was a lovely trip and nice to see my home town again.”  
“You're from Scotland, too, aren't you?” Clara asked and it took the Doctor a while to realize that it was him she was talking to.  
A little perplexed he looked up at her, struggling to find the words again. Damn his tongue that seemed to be glued into his mouth whenever Clara was close. “I, erm. . . yeah. I was born in Glasgow.”  
“He went to college in London,” Joe explained, “That's how we met. I'm from Vienna, by the way. When I moved back here the Doctor was kind enough to let me live with him.”  
The Doctor couldn't help but roll his eyes, thinking it was more stupidity on his side than kindness that had moved him to agree to take Joe in. Unfortunately this gesture didn't quite go unnoticed because when he looked back at Clara he saw that she was smiling knowingly. Her eyes practically said “ _Ah, the noise cancelling headphones._ ”  
“What made you two go back to university?” Joe asked after a moment, speaking to Clara and Amy again.  
“Oh, that was an offer from our school,” Amy explained, “We're short of history teachers. Tried to hired new ones but with no luck so far and the few we still have are going to retire in a few years. Clara and I took the chance.”  
“Makes sense,” Joe replied.  
“You wanted to tell us something about the test next week,” Clara suddenly intervened, obviously tired of the small talk his friend was trying to make. The Doctor noticed that she seemed increasingly uncomfortable whenever he spoke. In fact, she acted like she would rather talk to him than his friend. Amy just went along and the rest of the girls seemed utterly bored.  
“You're an impatient one, are you?” Joe smirked at her and the Doctor didn't even want to know what his friend was thinking about right now, “We'll get to that, don't worry. But let's just enjoy the weekend first, shall we?”  
He ordered another round for the entire table and the Doctor declined the offer politely, having so far only taken a sip from his beer while Joe babbled on about everything but his classes, avoiding the subject at all costs. He couldn't help but notice that Clara didn't even seem remotely interested in what he had to say and the Doctor felt a tiny bit victorious. Joe could chase her for as long as he wanted and Clara would never give in to him. If his friend managed to find someone to take home tonight it certainly wouldn't be Clara.

The time passed slowly and eventually, after they had already spent two hours at the pub Melanie announced that she was leaving, followed by Susie who said she had to get up early the next morning. Then Amy's phone started beeping.  
“That's Rory. His shift just ended and he says he can pick us up on his way home. Are you coming?” she asked Clara and the Doctor figured that Rory was probably the fiancé she had already mentioned.  
“No,” Clara said and put on the falsest smile the Doctor had ever seen while she turned around to look at his friend, “I still want to hear about that test next week. After all, that's what you asked us here for, right?”  
The Doctor knew his friend all too well. If there really was a test he sure as hell hadn't even thought of the questions yet, as was obvious from the look of his face. And now Clara seemed to have figured him out as well and the Doctor had to refrain from laughing when his friend had so obviously been caught.  
“I tell you what,” he smiled at Clara and Jennifer, “Let's make it a game. I'll order us a few shots and for each that we drink I will tell you _one_ question that I'm planning to have on the test.”  
“Alright, have fun with that,” Amy said, getting up from her seat, “I have a fiancé waiting for me outside.”  
Once Clara's friend had left the pub Joe looked around the remaining people expectantly.  
“Well, what do you say?” he asked.  
“Joe,” the Doctor warned him, tired of his friend's ploy to get his students to sleep with him, “Leave the girls alone. Just tell them what they need to know for the test.”  
He raised his eyebrows. “Did you only come here to chaperone us?”  
“Chaperoning you is a full time job,” the Doctor replied angrily, “I'm only here to keep you out of trouble which is exactly where you're headed right now.”  
“How many questions are there on that test?” Jennifer asked him.  
“As many as needed,” Joe winked at her.  
“Fine,” Clara spat after a moment, seeming a little angry herself, “But just so you know, I'll remember every single question and if they don't end up on that test I will personally speak to the head of staff.”  
The Doctor was a little taken aback by her outburst and as he looked straight at her, the fury about having been asked here under false pretences so visible on her face, he couldn't help but admire her. Clara Oswald was certainly not a woman to be crossed.  
“You don't have to do what he says,” the Doctor blurted out.  
“Hey, can the lady please speak for herself!” Joe demanded, interrupting him.  
“Thanks,” Clara muttered, turning back to the Doctor, “It's obvious that you don't like me, so don't even pretend to be concerned about me. I can take care of myself and I won't let anyone tell me what to do. And right now I want a good grade on that test more than anything. That's what I came here for and I'm not leaving until I get some info on that.”  
She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms in front of her chest and the Doctor was baffled for a moment, not only because he was impressed or because she still believed he hated her but also because of the smirk on Joe's face who thought he was going to get exactly what he wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the comments. And yeah, I realize that I'm going for the slow burn again. Sloooooooow buuuuuuuuuuurn. . .


	9. Chapter 9

With every minute that passed Joe seemed to be moving a little closer to Jennifer, obviously realizing that he wouldn't have any kind of success with Clara and after the 3rd shot of Tequila he had refused to give away any more of the questions he was going to use in his test the following week no matter how often Clara asked, probably because he was unable to think of any more at this point and the Doctor hoped for Joe's sake that he would actually remember to put the ones he had given her in the test. Clara didn't seem to have been joking when she had said she would talk to Missy otherwise. And above all Clara didn't seem like the type of women one should cross.  
“Hey, how about we continue this little chat at my house?” Joe suggested after a while, placing his hand not so very subtly on Jennifer's thigh and she didn't even really seem to mind. She ended up agreeing to him.  
Clara raised an eyebrow at him. “ _Your_ house?” she asked, “Last I've heard is that you're living with the Doctor. Shouldn't you ask _him_?”  
“Ah, the Doctor doesn't mind, or do you?” Joe said in his direction but he didn't even wait for his answer as he got out of his seat, pulling Jennifer up with him.  
“Thanks, but I'd rather go home now,” Clara said. His friend didn't appear to be too disappointed at all after having already secured his conquest for the night.  
“Suit yourself but you're missing one hell of a party,” Joe replied with a smirk and started walking in the direction of the bar to pay, dragging the other poor student behind him. 

When the Doctor looked around he suddenly became aware that he was now alone with Clara and somehow her presence hadn't really bothered him for a while. Quite the contrary. He was enjoying it a little too much and he hated the fact that this entire evening had been so horrible and that Clara clearly hadn't enjoyed herself. Then again, he hadn't wanted her to enjoy herself with Joe either.  
“Your friend's a jerk,” Clara said angrily as soon as Joe was out of earshot.  
The Doctor couldn't help but smile. “Quite right you are. You should ask someone at the bar to call you a taxi. You missed your ride.”  
“No, that's fine. I can walk. I live 20 minutes from here,” she replied, reaching for her jacket.  
“Under no circumstances,” the Doctor found himself protesting, “The neighbourhood isn't the safest and you've been drinking. I won't let you go home alone.”  
Clara opened her mouth to speak but paused for a moment, seeming a little confused. “You don't even like me. What do you care? Besides, I've been living here for a while. I know better than to get into a van with someone who offers me sweets.”  
“You're here because my idiot of a friend asked you and now he's buggered off. That makes you my responsibility. If something happened to you I would never forgive myself,” he said sincerely, “Let me call you a cab or walk you home.”  
Clara looked at him for a moment as if trying to determine whether he had ulterior motives as well but apparently didn't come to this conclusion. Eventually she shrugged. “Alright. Walk me home then.”  
The Doctor swallowed hard. He had thought she would decide to let him call her a taxi but now that he had offered there wasn't really a way to get out of this situation without being rude and since Clara still believed that he hated her the Doctor wanted to avoid that at all costs. 

Clara shivered once they stepped outside and for a small moment the Doctor thought she would faint when the colour suddenly faded from her face.  
“Are you alright?” he asked immediately.  
After taking in a deep breath Clara replied. “Yeah, sorry,” she said with a dismissive gesture, “It's just the tequila and the cold. I'm fine.”  
Suddenly she looked up at him, frowning a little and the Doctor tried his best to hold her gaze even though all he wanted was to hide from it and his growing feeling for her. Suggesting to walk her home had been a bad idea. “I agreed to let my professor walk me home, didn't I?” Clara laughed a little and finally looked away, “I need to stop making stupid decisions.”  
Finally she started walking. She swayed a little at first but soon regained her balance and the Doctor had no other choice than to follow her if he wanted to keep his promise to bring her home safely. Soon he had caught up with her.  
“Just for the record, I don't dislike you,” he felt the need to say it even though he didn't know why it should even matter. She was still his student and he was her professor and only her graduation would change that. He mustn't ever forget about that.  
“Well, that's a relief,” he heard Clara reply and he thought she also giggled a little, “Cause I admire you.”  
As soon as the realisation of what she had said struck her she turned to look at him. “Your work. I meant I admire your work. I should probably just shut up now before I make a complete fool of myself.”  
“Thank you,” the Doctor replied sincerely and not just to make Clara feel less embarrassed, “I didn't really get a chance to say that when you came to talk to me about my book. I was flattered that you liked it.”  
“You should write more books,” she suggested, “You're good at that.”  
The Doctor laughed. “Ah, that book took me 7 years and I didn't even teach back then. I would never find the time to do anything else. But maybe some day after I've retired.”  
When Clara didn't answer he looked at the small figure walking next to him and suddenly the Doctor felt overcome by the urge to take her arm, to walk just a little closer to her. Clara was marvellous. She was beautiful and intelligent and witty and above all she was feisty and not even a little bit afraid to stand up to his friend or voice her opinion. When Clara had said she admired him the Doctor had been ready to return that compliment on the spot.  
“Why are you friends with that jerk professor Schmidt?” Clara asked out of the blue, “I'm sorry if that's non of my business but it just seems like a very unlikely friendship.”  
The Doctor snorted. “Because I'm an idiot. We were friends back in college and when he showed up on my doorstep six months ago I couldn't say no to an old friend in need. I've tried to get him to move out but he won't. Maybe you should have a go at that,” he suggested, laughing. Clara would have him pack his bags in a week.  
“Being kind doesn't make you an idiot,” Clara replied, “But what he does is anything but okay.”  
The Doctor couldn't help but notice when she shivered again and he realized that she was probably freezing under her light jacket.  
“Are you cold?” he asked her.  
“No.”  
“Liar,” the Doctor said as he stripped out of his own coat and handed it to her. Clara only looked at him in confusion, “Take it. I'm fine with my jacket.”  
Reluctantly Clara accepted the coat from him and put it on over her jacket. “Okay, maybe I was a little cold. Thanks,” she uttered.  
They walked in silence for a moment and the Doctor was beginning to dread every single step that brought them closer to her home. He was enjoying her company too much and he wanted this walk to never end. Next week when they would be back in the classroom it would be different again. She would just be one of his many students and he would be her professor but right now, if only for a short while, he could pretend they were just two people taking a walk. In his daydreams the Doctor even dared to imagine what it would be like to kiss her. Clara was a lot shorter than him and he dreamed about just bending down, closing his arms around her tiny waist and pulling her closer until their lips met. God knows he wanted to.  
“We're almost there,” Clara said, tearing him from his thoughts about her, “Just around the corner.”  
The Doctor nodded. “You're probably an amazing teacher, am I right?” He wasn't sure why he was even asking. It was just something that had come to mind as he had watched her at the pub earlier.  
“I think I better be,” she replied, smiling at him and it felt like he was torn into a million pieces. He only liked another human being, so why did it hurt him so much just to look at her?  
“I sometimes think my students hate me. I can be kind of strict,” she added after a moment.  
“Nothing wrong with being strict as long as you're fair. When I think back at my days at school I believe the strictest teachers were also the best, the ones I learned the most from,” he said, hoping it would make her feel better and the smile on her face told him it did.  
“You know what?” Clara grinned up at him, “I actually like talking to you. It's. . . ah, nevermind. Don't listen to me.”  
The Doctor had half a mind to ask, desperately hoping to hear that she liked him, hoping for a sign until he remembered that no sign could ever change the fact of what they were. Professor and student.  
Eventually Clara came to a halt in front of a large apartment building. “Thank you,” she said sincerely while taking off his coat and handing it back to him, “For walking me home. And the coat. And tell your friend that if these questions aren't part of the test I _will_ speak to this woman that wants to fire him.”  
She started to laugh and the Doctor couldn't help but smile at her. He knew that he needed to turn around and walk away as soon as possible, before he could even attempt to say or do something stupid.  
“But I guess the evening wasn't entirely useless,” she added, “At least now I know you don't hate me. That has been bugging me since your first lecture.”  
“Yeah,” he replied for lack of anything else to say, ignoring the sign, ignoring that she had just told him he had been on her mind, “Now you know.”  
“Thanks again,” she smiled, “Good night.”

Once she had turned around and entered the apartment building the Doctor let out a long, frustrated groan. This story was never going to have a happy ending and the more he saw or learned about Clara Oswald the deeper he fell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your sweet comments, everyone :)


	10. Chapter 10

As soon as the Doctor stepped inside his house he could hear very clearly what was going on in Joe's room and decided then and there that he would finally put a stop to it. The next morning. Right now he was too confused and too tired, so he dragged his body upstairs and under the shower, hoping the water would wash every this entire evening along with the thoughts he knew he shouldn't be having. His mind however wasn't quite so ready to let go of Clara Oswald as her smile kept haunting him.  
_She is just a student_ , he kept telling himself, _She's nothing special. You're just a dirty, old pervert_.  
The Doctor finally retreated to bed and found Yoko slumbering peacefully on top of his blanket. He knew it was pathetic, confessing his inappropriate feelings for his student to his pet but somehow it always made him feel better, at least for a little while and so he told Yoko about everything that had happened, earning nothing but the usual purring before he reached for the headphones and listened to the CD that Clara had recommended to him to drown out the noises coming from the next room.

 

* * *

 

“You came home late last night,” Joe observed with a grin when the Doctor walked downstairs to get his morning coffee. Since Jennifer was nowhere to be seen or heard he assumed that she had already gone home, “You didn't score with pretty Miss Oswald, did you?”  
The Doctor rolled his eyes as he let himself sink down on the chair. “No, I did not score with Miss Oswald. I didn't even try to score with Miss Oswald because I am decent person and I like my job and getting women tipsy just to get them to sleep with me is not how I would even attempt to score with any woman,” he spat angrily, “I walked her home because the streets aren't safe at night and I didn't want her to get robbed or worse just because you're a fucking idiot.”  
“Wow, someone is angry this morning,” Joe replied, taking a sip from his coffee.  
“I have every right to be angry,” the Doctor shouted back, surprising not only Joe but himself with his sudden outburst. But to be fair, he was still very angry, “These six months you've been living with me you have acted not like a friend but like a parasite! You're using my house and your workplace as a playground and that stops right now! You're welcome to keep living with me until you have found something you like under the condition that there will be no more students at my home. You won't bring them here and you won't make it so obvious that the entire university knows. I want no part in this, I don't even want to catch you _looking_ at a student while I'm in the same room. And if you can't do that you'll have to pack your bags immediately. I don't care where you go, you can stay with Susie at her parents' house if they let you but not here. Oh, and one more thing: if the questions you told Clara yesterday don't pop up in your test she is going to have a little chat with Missy. And that is not an empty threat.”  
Joe opened his mouth in protest. “Man, I don't even remember the questions. I made them all up last night!”  
“Not my problem,” the Doctor replied, “But you better remember them before Thursday or you're going to remember what it's like to be an unemployed professor.”  
He rose from his chair again and walked into the direction of the coffee maker, pouring himself a mug and taking a large sip before he was finally able to catch his breath.  
“I mean it, Joe,” he said more softly now but at the same time kept the determination in his voice, “This has got to stop. I disapproved of your actions before but seeing it with my own eyes last night, how uncomfortable you make the students, how you trick them. I can't be a part of that.”  
His friend stared at him for a long moment before he finally nodded. “Alright. I won't invite another student here but only if you answer me truthfully,” he cocked an eyebrow, “Do you have a thing for Clara Oswald?”  
“Joe,” the Doctor said threateningly.  
“I'm asking as your friend and I certainly won't judge you. She's a beautiful and smart woman, I totally get why you would fancy her. And there's still a difference between an innocent crush and doing what I do.”  
For a brief moment the Doctor almost considered confessing it all but eventually he thought better of it. He shook his head. “You're right. Clara Oswald is smart and beautiful but I do not have a crush on her. She's nice and I like her _as a student_.”  
He couldn't tell whether or not he had managed to convince Joe but eventually his friend turned his head away from him and faced his coffee again, finally ending this awkward conversation. 

 

* * *

 

Clara woke with a start, the memory of the previous night immediately returning to her mind and the first thing she did, even before waking up properly, was to reach for her phone and dial Amy's number. The phone rang a couple of times before her friend finally answered.  
“Amy, a thing happened!” Clara confessed.  
“Oh dear God, you slept with him,” she heard Amy say, the disappointment so clear in her voice, “Who was it? Smith or Schmidt?”  
“I didn't sleep with him, especially not with professor Schmidt,” she immediately defended herself. The thought alone made her stomach twist and turn. Or maybe it was only her body's punishment for the tequila. Clara couldn't really tell.  
“Alright, tell me what happened,” Amy demanded.  
Clara took a deep breath. “You didn't miss much, Schmidt continued to be a jerk and he went home with that other poor girl. I've got three questions for the test, by the way, and if they don't end up actually being on that test I will tell the head of staff about what he's having the students do for _extra credit_. Anyway, after they had left the Doctor insisted that I shouldn't go home alone and I agreed to let him walk me home,” Clara paused, giving her friend time to reply but she said nothing at all, “Amy? Are you still there?”  
“Yes,” she replied, “I'm waiting for you to tell me what _thing_ happened.”  
“He walked me home. _My professor_ walked me home. He gave me his coat because I was freezing and we talked and I may have said a few things that I probably wouldn't have without the tequila but we _talked_. Like normal people. And he said he doesn't dislike me. He was _nice_.”  
“I still don't see a problem here. So you talked to our professor while he made sure you got home safely. He's nice and capable of speech – what are you so agitated about?”  
Clara paused, pondering her friend's words. Amy was right, of course. What _was_ she so agitated about? Now that she came to think about it nothing had happened. She had gone out with two of her professors and a couple of other students, one of those professors had felt bad about her having to walk home alone and accompanied her while being nothing but a gentleman. If she put it that way it sounded like the most natural thing but something inside her was in a turmoil about last night.  
“Clara, I hate to ask this question again but,” Amy paused, “Are you _sure_ you don't have a crush on him?”  
“I don't,” Clara replied weakly but suddenly she wasn't quite so sure anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments :)  
> Why is everyone thinking about the (happy) ending? We're only 10 chapters in, I'm not thinking about the ending yet. Well, I know how it'll end but other than that - no XD


	11. Chapter 11

Clara couldn't wait until her class on Thursday. The weird, or _not so weird after all_ thing that had happened between her and the Doctor and what Amy had said on the phone just wouldn't leave her alone and so Clara found herself in front of the door to his office on Tuesday an hour before her first class. She knew he would be there, it was the time his door was open for students and their questions according to the university's website. After taking a deep breath she finally knocked and stepped inside.  
The Doctor looked up from what he was reading and froze when he spotted her. She could see him swallow hard right before he rose from his chair, though why exactly he did that Clara couldn't tell and the gesture baffled her a little. It also made her a little uneasy.  
She couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh. “Did I scare you?”  
He frowned at her. “No. Why do you think that?” the Doctor asked and pointed to the chair across the table from his own. Reluctantly Clara took a seat and he sank back into his own chair as well.  
“I don't know. Cause you jumped up when you saw me. I thought I had startled you,” she replied with a shrug.  
He still looked a little nervous but gave her a smile nonetheless. “It's common courtesy to stand up when a woman enters the room,” the Doctor said bluntly and now Clara laughed in earnest.  
“It was. 50 years ago,” she smiled at him, “But consider the gesture appreciated.”  
Clara observed him for a moment, not quite believing the Doctor's chivalry. He was a gentleman, that much had been obvious after he had walked her home on Saturday night but standing up just because she had entered the room seemed a little old fashioned even for a man like him. And he did look rather startled.  
“What brings you to my office?” the Doctor asked, tearing her from her thoughts.  
She smiled kindly at him. “I wanted to thank you again,” she said. _And I needed to see you to determine whether or not I have a crush on you._ “Walking me home on Saturday was really considerate of you.”  
Clara couldn't decide even while she was still staring at him. He was the Doctor, her professor whom she admired for his work and he wasn't exactly bad looking. She kind of liked his unruly silver curls and the boyish look in his eyes. But did she have a crush on him? No, Clara didn't think so. The only reason he had almost constantly invaded her thoughts was because she had been sure he disliked her for a reason that evaded her.  
“It was my pleasure,” the Doctor replied politely and quickly looked away from her, “You don't need to thank me. If anything I need to apologize for my friend. So, is there anything else I can help you with?”  
Somehow Clara got the impression that he was trying to get rid of her quickly. In fact, it was as if he was acting the complete opposite of what he had been like on Saturday evening when they had been alone. Something about him wasn't quite right.  
“Actually, yes,” she said, determined to stay at least a bit longer to see what would happen, “I know the first essay is only due in four weeks but that's also when I have some exams for my students scheduled and I'd like to start early. I have an idea for a topic and I would like to hear your opinion.”  
The Doctor raised his eyebrows, suddenly appearing a lot more interested. “Okay, let's hear that idea.”

Clara pulled his book out of her bag and opened it at some of the markers she had put inside, beginning to explain to him how she would like to dock onto a theory he had briefly mentioned and what other resources she had already considered and the Doctor listened intently before he retrieved a couple of other books from his large shelf and made a few suggestions. Soon enough they had sunk deep into a historical debate about the trials of the Boleyn siblings. Clara couldn't help but love the entire conversation. She had always been fascinated by the topic and of course, sitting in his class and lecture was fun, but actually having someone to discuss it with was even better. They talked and talked and the Doctor provided her with a lot of insight but also complimented her on how well she was informed already, how thorough her research was. The earlier nervousness had been completely forgotten. And then Clara's eyes fell on the clock.  
“Shit!” she cursed without meaning to, “I have to go. My class started 10 minutes ago.”  
The Doctor's face froze in horror. “And so did mine,” he replied and hastily rose from his chair, “I'm sorry but I'm afraid we'll have to finish this conversation another time.”  
The papers he carried fell to the floor when he was only halfway across the room and without thinking about it any further Clara bent down as well to help him pick them all up. Until a flyer fell into her hands.  
“Oh, that's for a Renaissance fair and re-enactment of Henry VIII's court at Hampton Court Palace next weekend. I was thinking about going,” he explained while he took the flyer from her hands and put it with his other papers.  
“That sounds really cool. I would love to see that,” she said, smiling as she handed him the rest of the scattered papers.  
“You could come with me,” the Doctor suggested but he looked as if he regretted the words as soon as they had come out of his mouth, “Sorry. Forget about it. It was a silly thought.”  
“Not at all,” Clara replied before she could stop herself.  
“Really?” he asked in disbelief, “I thought hanging out with your professor on weekends would look a little weird.”  
Clara couldn't say why but somehow the idea of going there with the Doctor really appealed to her, even though it was probably just the after effect of a very inspiring conversation. “Not as weird as inviting your students to the pub,” she shrugged, “Actually, I really like the idea. The Renaissance fair, I mean. But I understand why you wouldn't want to go there with a student.”  
“No,” he paused, looking confused and nervous again, “I thought _you_ wouldn't want to.”  
“I want to,” she blurted out.  
The Doctor opened his mouth to speak but for a moment not a word came out. “Uhm, I have to go to my class. Why don't. . . why don't we both. . . uhm. . . think about that until Thursday and decide then?”  
Clara frowned at him. She had had enough of his changing mood and his nervousness and so she made the decision for them both. “I won't change my mind and I won't start thinking that it's weird. This is an interesting event and you know more about that period than any other person I know. I'm sure I could learn a lot. You obviously want to go and now I want to go as well. I see no reason why we shouldn't go together. So we could either stand here and discuss it for another 10 minutes while your students are waiting for you or you can say yes.”  
Finally the Doctor granted her a defeated smile. “Shall I pick you up at 10?” he asked.  
“Sounds great,” Clara replied, grinning at the Doctor as she made her way past him and out of his office before they quickly hurried off into different directions. 

She could hardly stop smiling as she walked to her class and she knew only too well that Amy would interpret it as a sign that Clara indeed had a crush on her professor when in fact she still wasn't sure about that. All she knew was that she was looking forward to Saturday very, very much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, time we moved on with the story a bit and I hope you'll enjoy it. Also thank you for the comments :)


	12. Chapter 12

When the Doctor got home after a long day at the university he still wasn't finished cursing his mouth for being quicker than his brain. Inviting Clara Oswald to join him on Saturday must have been the dumbest idea he had ever had in his entire life but at that moment he had been so comfortable around her, he still had been so enthralled by her and the conversation they had had that the words had escaped his mouth before he had even had a chance of stopping them. She was beautiful and smart and somehow talking to her filled him with an enthusiasm and a spirit that he himself had lacked for years.  
Joe was waiting for him in the kitchen when the Doctor stepped inside, immediately crossing the room to retrieve a beer from the fridge. He opened the bottle and took a large sip.  
“Long day?” his friend asked him.  
“Very long.”  
Joe cocked an eyebrow at him. “Does that mean we get to do beer and football on telly now?”  
The Doctor sighed in reply. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

But even a couple of beers and a football game later Clara was still on his mind and it was beginning to bother him. Joe slept with his students all the time, maybe he would know how to get rid of these unwanted feelings. The Doctor quickly brushed the idea aside, knowing exactly what Joe would tell him to do and that was simply out of the question. And yet. . .  
“In all those years,” the Doctor began, “Did you ever fall in love with one of your students?”  
His friend frowned at him. “You're not that naïve to think I _love_ all the girls I sleep with, right?”  
“Of course not. But didn't you ever fall in love? Not even once?”  
A smile appeared on his friend's face but it was different from the way the way he usually smiled. The Doctor almost thought he looked nostalgic, or even sad.  
“There was one, back in Vienna. Ages ago. _Louise_ ,” Joe said the name with such admiration that every doubt the Doctor might have had about his friend's feelings was wiped away, “I almost married her. You should have seen the women in Vienna, they were all beautiful to the point that it almost hurt to look at them. And then there was Louise, the most beautiful of them all.”  
“What happened?”  
Joe shrugged. “I chased her for months before she gave in, I went half mad because of her. We were happy for a while. And then she left me and broke my heart.”  
The Doctor took a sip from his bottle. Half mad sounded about right. He was half mad because of Clara. “And what did you do about it?”  
“I found another. And then another,” his friend explained, “But no one has ever matched up to Louise so far.”  
That wasn't even remotely helpful at all. The Doctor emptied the bottle and rose from the sofa, announcing that it was probably time for him to go to bed.  
After walking upstairs he locked the bathroom door behind him, stripped out of his clothes and stepped under the hot shower water but even that couldn't wash away how he was feeling about Clara. While most of the time his thoughts about her were innocent, like imagining her laugh or thinking about having a conversation with her, sometimes different images would invade his mind. Holding Clara, kissing Clara in his office, running his hands along the curve of Clara's body while he pulled her closer, pressing their hips together. He imagined how her lips would taste, how soft and warm her skin would feel under his fingertips, how he would bury his head in her shoulder, inhaling that wonderful scent of her perfume. The Doctor could feel his body respond to these thoughts almost instantly, his half erect cock twitching at the mental image of what Clara would look like naked, of how she would moan under him when he pushed inside of her. He reached down and began stroking himself, giving himself completely to his thoughts about Clara Oswald. He felt dirty and ashamed but not enough to stop until he had spent himself. 

 

* * *

 

He found the way back to her apartment without a problem and parked his car right in front of it. There was still time for the Doctor to back out of going to Hampton Court Palace with her. He could still drive off and apologize to Clara the following week, telling her something had come up and he just hadn't been able to make it. But as soon as he imagined her disappointed face while she was waiting for him to pick her up he felt guilty, especially since the only reason for him to stand her up would be the fear of his own feelings for her.  
Eventually the Doctor stepped out of the car and walked the last few steps up to her door. After taking a deep breath and gathering his courage he even managed the ring the bell.  
“Hey, I'll open the door for you,” Clara replied through the intercom, “I'm having a button crisis. It's gonna take a few more minutes.”  
“Not a problem. I can wait downstairs,” he said.  
“Don't be silly,” he could hear her smile even without seeing her face, “Come on up.”  
The intercom went dead just before the door started buzzing and the Doctor reached for the handle and stepped inside. According to the name tag and the letterbox Clara lived on the 5th floor and he decided to take the stairs, giving her more time to solve her button crisis, whatever that meant, so he would end up spending less time at her flat.  
The door to the inside of her apartment was left ajar and after a careful knock he dared to step inside. Somehow the place looked just like he had imagined it, possessing just the right amount of organized chaos that he liked to practice as well. He found Clara sitting on her sofa, armed with needle and thread and a jacket laid across her lap.  
“Hi,” she greeted him with a smile, “Sorry, a button of my jacket came loose and I thought I'd better fix them all. Won't take too long.”  
“It's okay,” the Doctor replied, returning her smile.  
“Why don't you sit down?” Clara suggested.  
“Oh, no, that's okay,” he said and pointed towards the large shelf behind her, “I'd rather have a look at your books if you don't mind.”  
“Not at all.”  
The Doctor made his way across the room and had only gotten as far as the first rack when he suddenly thought that he loved her. He owned and loved most of these books as well and when he took another step he realized that the same applied to her collection of CDs. It was cruel to have so much in common with her when she was so beautiful and his student and born about 20 years too late.  
“Are you judging my taste?” her voice suddenly tore him from his thoughts.  
He laughed. “Admiring it. You've got great taste. For someone your age.”  
And suddenly Clara let out a groan. “Why do people always have to put the age label on everything? I can like Bob Dylan and not be in my 40s. I can also read Shakespeare without having been born in the 17th century. A friend of mine is 31 and has taken up knitting a few years ago. Everyone tells her it's a granny's hobby and yet she knits these amazing things,” Clara turned around to look at him, “Why does a good taste in music or films or books have to be related to how old someone is?”  
The Doctor was a little taken aback by her statement and he couldn't really find an answer. Because she was right somehow. These things shouldn't be related and yet that's what most people thought.  
He gave a nervous laugh. “I can't honestly say.”  
When she looked back down at her jacket all the Doctor could think about was how much he wanted to kiss her right before he realized that his feelings for her were beginning to spiral out of control. Agreeing to this day at the Renaissance fair had been a mistake. She would love it. He would love it. It would bring them closer and he wanted it to. The Doctor simply didn't want to stay away from her any longer.  
“Okay, I'm done,” Clara announced before putting on her jacket and rising from her seat with a big smile on her face, “Ready to go?”  
“Ready,” he confirmed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the comments! They really, really make my day!!!


	13. Chapter 13

Clara noticed how silent the Doctor went as soon as they started driving so she attempted to break the ice after he had turned around a couple of corners.  
“Your friend called off the test, by the way,” she mentioned with a light smile, “I supposed he had trouble remembering the questions he made up at the pub.”  
The Doctor huffed. “You saw through that, didn't you?”  
“Yeah,” she confirmed, “He might be able to fool 20-year-olds with that but not me.”  
“I told him off the next day, by the way. Told him he couldn't keep doing this, especially not at my house,” he sighed, “I can't stop him from being a jerk but I think it was about time I stopped turning a blind eye.”  
“That's good,” Clara agreed and suddenly she thought of something else, “Hey, you never told me. Did you like the CD I recommended?”  
Clara looked at him to see him smile. “Slightly depressing but in a very good way. Yes, I liked it.”  
He turned his head back on the road and Clara took a deep breath, trying to think of something to talk about. They had had such a nice conversation about history the other day and somehow she was desperate to repeat that. She didn't see why it couldn't be done even though he seemed a little more reserved today.  
“Thank you for taking me to the Renaissance fair,” she said sincerely, “I know you weren't sure if it was a good idea but believe me, I really appreciate it. And don't think it makes you as bad as your friend. Taking a bunch of students to a pub for dubious reasons isn't even remotely the same as taking me to an educational, interesting event that we both want to attend.”  
“Oh, it's educational now?” the Doctor asked with a laugh.  
“Of course it is. I've never actually been to Hampton Court Palace before. I've been living here for almost 10 years and I've never gotten around to it. I've been wanting to go for ages but it's not so much fun alone.”  
“Alright,” he said, his mood lighting up a little, “I guess you could say it is educational.”

Suddenly Clara leaned forward and pressed a couple of buttons on the radio, having had yet another idea.  
“What are you doing?” he asked her in confusion.  
Clara grinned at him in reply. “Checking if you've got age appropriate music in your player because music totally comes with an age label now and if the music is too new I'm going to have to confiscate it,” she explained jokingly.  
“Phew, I'm lucky then,” he said right before the opening notes of “St Elmo's Fire” started playing and it made Clara grin with excitement. She loved that song.  
“ _You know in some ways you're a lot like me, you're just a prisoner and you're tryin' to break free_ ,” Clara started singing at the top of her lungs, not caring that she didn't quite hit all of the notes just right. She was just trying to lift his spirit, even if that meant making a fool of herself. And he didn't even seem to mind.  
The Doctor laughed before eventually he joined in, even if a little more reserved than she had been. “ _Gonna be your man in motion, all I need is a pair of wheels. Take me where my future's lying, St Elmo's fire._ ”  
“Hey, you're good at that,” Clara realized, “Singing, I mean.”  
“I better be,” he beamed at her, “I used to be in a band while I was in college. Singer and lead guitarist.”  
“No way!”  
The Doctor told her the story of how he had quite accidentally joined a rock band at college that had never really made it past graduation and how he had sort of lost interest in it over time.  
“You shouldn't have,” Clara told him, “My parents asked me if I wanted to learn an instrument as a kid and I said no. I regret it to this day.”  
“I didn't really want to give up on it,” the Doctor shrugged, “It just sort of happened. I played less and less and one day the guitar broke and I never replaced it because I didn't see the point.”  
“You should buy a new one,” Clara said determinedly.  
He giggled. “Yes, a new electric guitar along with a sports car so I can head off into a midlife crisis.”  
“If you're aiming for a midlife crisis you'll also need a girlfriend at least 20 years younger than yourself. Or do you have one already?” Clara asked before she could stop herself.  
Suddenly his expression turned unreadable as if he was only just remembering something painful that he was trying to suppress. “No,” he replied eventually but then turned to face her and smiled, “But I could ask my friend. I'm sure he knows the right sort of women for that.”  
Clara knew it was meant as a joke but somehow she didn't find it funny at all. The idea of the Doctor doing what Professor Schmidt did, sleeping with just one of his students, bothered her a great deal. Maybe Amy was right. Maybe she did have a tiny crush on him after all.  
But right now Clara didn't have the chance to ponder her feelings for him when he parked his car in a parking spot from which she could already see the palace – and it looked magnificent.  
“Shall we go?” the Doctor asked her.  
“Yes,” Clara agreed enthusiastically, smiling at him right before she got out of the car. 

Clara could already tell that there was an event going on before they even entered through the main gate. The place was swarming with people, a lot of them dressed up like in the 16th century and she found it hard not to gawk at them all. It grew even harder not to stare once they were inside the palace grounds.  
“We've got almost two hours until the court re-enactment starts,” the Doctor told her, looking up from the brochure he had been consulting for a few minutes, “Do you want to go and see the gardens in the meantime?”  
“I'd love to,” she replied, smiling, and followed the Doctor through the historical site.  
The gardens were surely overwhelmingly beautiful on a normal day but right now they were crowded with people in historical costumes. Little booths had been put up all over the place at which people were selling costumes and jewellery and food and drinks and Clara looked around, completely mesmerized. Until her gaze fell on a dress on display at one of the small shops.  
“You can try it on if you like,” the woman behind the counter of the small booth told her with a friendly smile, “I'm sure I have your size in the back.”  
“Oh, I'm not sure. It's a bit extravagant,” she replied nervously.  
“Go on,” the Doctor suddenly said behind her, “Try it. I don't think you'll get the chance to wear a Renaissance dress any time soon although-”  
He stepped closer, examining the dress more closely. “Not quite authentic when it comes to the fabric.”  
“The dresses made of natural fibre are in the back as well,” the woman told him, “They are a bit more expensive so we keep them in a protective bag.”  
Clara, still unable to tear her gaze from the dress, finally made a decision. The Doctor was right. She wouldn't really get a chance like this again any time soon. “Alright, I'll try it.”  
A few moments later the woman handed her the same dress in a smaller size and told Clara she could change in the back where they had set up an improvised changing room out of curtains but putting on a Renaissance dress proved to be a little more difficult than she had anticipated and the woman ended up helping her with the lacing in the back.  
When she stepped back outside from behind the curtains Clara couldn't help but notice how the Doctor's mouth fell open and she started giggling nervously.  
“Well,” she said, “What do you think?”  
For a moment he said nothing at all, only stared. “You,” he paused and then seemed to have regained his ability to speak, “You look like a true princess.”  
And then it hit her. She knew that look on a man's face, maybe she had even seen it on his before but never really paid attention to it. The Doctor was nervous around her, he avoided her gaze whenever possible, he stammered and at times was lost for words. _He fancied her._ He had from the very first second and all this time she had thought the Doctor hated her.  
“Uhm, thanks,” she spluttered, “I don't get extra credit if I wear if to the exam, do I?”  
Clara laughed to cover up her sudden nervousness. Why was she even nervous? Even if he did fancy her, it didn't matter. The Doctor was too much of a gentleman to act on it unless. . . unless she fancied him, too.  
She took a deep breath, trying to distract herself from the question. “Hey, can you take a picture of me in the dress?” she asked the Doctor.  
“Uhm, I don't have a camera.”  
Clara reached for her bag and soon found her phone inside it before she opened the camera app and handed the device to the Doctor.  
“Okay, that works, of course,” he replied and gestured for her to position herself for the photo.  
Clara stood up straight, spread her arms to show off the large sleeves and smiled right before the camera clicked.

“Shit,” the Doctor suddenly blurted out and stepped closer into the booth, reaching for Clara's arm and pulling her into hiding with him, “Missy is here, too.”  
“Missy?” Clara asked in confusion.  
The Doctor took a deep breath, now looking utterly nervous and lost. “She's the head of staff at the university and she is sort of the all-seeing, moral eye. She can't know we're here together.”  
“But why? We're not doing anything wrong.”  
“Missy might have a different opinion on that,” he told her, his voice almost a whisper, “I've known her for a long time and she is not someone you should cross.”  
“Okay, where exactly is she right now?” Clara asked him.  
The Doctor made a small gesture to the side, indicating that Missy was just about to pass the booth they were hiding behind.  
“Okay,” Clara whispered, “Just play along.”

Clara stepped outside of the booth, ignoring the Doctor's pleading looks and she turned around to face him.  
“What a coincidence meeting you here,” Clara said loudly, looking to her left when she spotted a vaguely familiar woman, “You know, I was actually thinking I might get some ideas for the essay for your class here.”  
The Doctor was a little too baffled to speak but apparently Missy wasn't. She quickly stepped closer.  
“Oh, hello Doctor,” she greeted him in a friendly, but also slightly wary, manner.  
He laughed a little nervously. “And Missy, too,” he said and Clara was relieved to see he had caught up with her idea, “Is the entire university gathered here today?”  
“Seems so,” Missy said, “Or at least the history department.”  
“I think I also spotted Janine,” Clara nodded enthusiastically, “You know the girl with the large glasses that always sits in the back in your Anne Boleyn class?”  
“Oh, right,” the Doctor agreed, “I wasn't sure if that was her but I think I saw her, too.”  
Missy cleared her throat. “Okay, I won't interrupt you any further. Doctor, please remind your friend of his appointment with me on Monday afternoon. If he misses it again he's going to get an official invitation and trust me, he doesn't really want that to happen.”  
“Appointment?” the Doctor asked her, the confusion visible on his face, “He didn't mention an appointment.”  
“Yes, because he's trying very hard to ignore the sword of Damocles dangling over his head but he can't. Not for long. Please, tell him to be on time,” Missy said right before she turned her back and started walking away.  
The Doctor let out a long sigh of relief.  
“Well, if it's any consolation,” Clara added, “I think she bought our story.”  
She looked up to see the Doctor smile and suddenly they both started to giggle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so, so much for your sweet comments :) Now, let's see how the story goes on from here, huh?


	14. Chapter 14

After having brought Clara home the Doctor entered his own house, feeling tired and exhausted after he had spent practically the entire day with her at the Renaissance fair. It had been fun and Clara had visibly enjoyed herself as well. Completely mesmerized she had walked through the palace while listening more to what he told her than the things the tour guide kept explaining and they had both joked about the way the actors of the re-enactment had made Henry VIII's court look. It hadn't really been educational but they had had one hell of a lovely day in each other's company.  
“You've been gone a long time,” Joe remarked when the Doctor stepped inside the house.  
“Oh, yeah,” he replied, “I was at an event at Hampton Court Palace. And now I really just want to go to bed.”  
“Alone?” his friend inquired with a smirk.  
“I met Missy there,” the Doctor said, changing the subject, “She wants me to remind you of your appointment on Monday. Care to explain that?”  
Joe rolled his eyes. “Susie might have told a few people about the pub. Don't worry. I'll tell Missy it was a study group and that you were there, too. It's nothing.”  
The Doctor shook his head while he made his way upstairs, knowing that his friend would most definitely get fired sooner or later. It was generally frowned upon for a professor to sleep with his students but whereas some universities took it a little more lightly they had both signed a contract explicitly stating that any intimate relationships with a student would lead to an immediate dismissal. There was one professor who had married a former student and as far as the Doctor knew they were still married to this day but that had been after the student had already graduated.

The Doctor sank down on his bed next to Yoko and opened his laptop. A few e-mails from students, mostly asking about essays, had gathered in his inbox today but he figured they could just as well wait until morning. No student in their right mind was spending Saturday night with their course work. Among other things he also found he had received a couple of friend requests on Facebook from old college friends and former colleagues. The Doctor went to open the page and accepted them all, proud that his list was now holding 37 friends already.  
He knew he shouldn't but the Doctor still searched for Clara Oswald again, finding her more quickly now when he realized she had changed her profile picture to the one he had taken of her in the Renaissance dress. The text next to it read “Feeling like a true princess – at Hampton Court Palace” and the Doctor couldn't help but smile. She had looked so beautiful in that dress that he had been completely lost for words.  
“Yoko, no!” the Doctor exclaimed when his cat suddenly walked right across the keyboard of his laptop, obviously awake after her nap and in the mood to beg for some attention. Helplessly and much to his horror the Doctor watched the words “Request Sent” pop up on the screen. Yoko had managed to send Clara Oswald a friend request with her evil, little paws and the Doctor had no idea how to undo his cat's latest deed when he suddenly received a notification that his request had been accepted.  
The Doctor growled at Yoko. “For that I'm going to buy your least favourite cat food _for a month_!” But he guessed that that was his punishment for stalking Clara in the first place and Yoko only bumped her head into his own in reply. 

“ _Oh ho ho_ ,” the Doctor suddenly heard Joe laugh on the corridor, “John Smith is now friends with Clara Oswald.”  
He groaned. “Stop stalking me!” the Doctor called out loud enough so his friend could hear it outside of the room.  
“I'm going to like this announcement and you can't stop me,” his friend chuckled right before the Doctor could hear the door to his room close. He decided to ignore it when he suddenly heard a strange sound and looked down at his laptop to see a chat window had opened up. 

Clara Oswald:  
Is that your cat in the picture? It's sooooo adorable!

The message had appeared before the Doctor had even finished asking himself the question why on earth Clara would even accept a friend quest from him. Maybe she thought she didn't have a choice now that her professor had sent it to her. But then again – she had started a chat as well. Quickly the Doctor typed a reply.

John Smith:  
Yes, that is Yoko, my quiet and better behaved flatmate. Well, at least as long is there is food in her bowl.

Clara Oswald:  
She is a beauty and you look absolutely cute together ;)

The Doctor's eyes widened at the last message and his heart suddenly started beating a little faster. Clara Oswald had – technically – just called him cute. But it was more than obvious that she hadn't meant it in that way.

Clara Oswald:  
Thank you again for today, by the way. I know I said it like 10 times already in the car but I had a really great time today. See, I even made the photo you took my new profile picture.

There was no way he would have missed that picture or the way she had quoted him underneath it and he also noticed that he kept staring at the small icon in the chat window.

John Smith:  
I noticed. The dress really suits you. You should have bought it. 

Clara Oswald:  
I would have but you refused to give me extra credit if I wore it to your class. 

John Smith:  
I think that would be a little unfair to the other students who don't own pretty Renaissance dresses, don't you?

Clara Oswald:  
Yeah, I guess you're right. Hey, there is something I would like to give to you – I'm sure you'll love it.

The Doctor cocked an eyebrow at the screen. Give him something? He had no idea what it could be but since they had talked a lot about books and music while walking around the palace grounds today he guessed it was one or the other.

John Smith:  
Okay, why don't you bring it to class or stop by my office on Tuesday?

Clara Oswald:  
That's the problem. It's kinda big and heavy. You'll have to pick it up at my place with your car.

John Smith:  
Is it a bookshelf cause you assumed I don't own enough of those?  
No, seriously, if it's something big or expensive I can't accept it.

Clara Oswald:  
I want you to accept this one because I've had it for 10 years and I haven't used it for about 9 years and 10 months. But I'm not saying what it is. You'll have to come by my place and see. 

John Smith:  
Okay. I have classes until 6 on Monday and I've planned on taking the car to the garage afterwards. Is between 7 and 7.30 okay for you?

Everything he had sworn to himself about staying away from Clara seemed to be forgotten. The more time he actually spend with her the more he wanted to be around her.

Clara Oswald:  
Sounds perfect. And I have to sleep now. I've been sitting on my bed in my nightie for 20 minutes and after today I'm so tired I think I'm going to fall asleep right away. 

The Doctor gulped, wondering why Clara had sent him a message like that. Didn't she know what it sounded like? And she surely couldn't be so naïve to just tell a man she was in her nightie. She should know better than to do something like that. A smart woman like her should know better than to give away these kind of details because they would obviously spark a man's imagination.  
But Clara knew better, she had seen through Joe's stupid attempts to lure the students into his bed. And if Clara knew better it meant she had done it on purpose. Had she figured him out as well? Was she testing him? Should he reply?

Clara Oswald:  
Good night!

Not knowing what else to write he typed a simple “Sleep well” and quickly closed the lid of his laptop. He knew he was doomed whatever happened next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the sweet comments! Anyone curious about how it will go on with the two idiots?


	15. Chapter 15

“I could order pizza tonight,” Joe suggested hopefully, “Or buy some on my way home from class.”  
“Uhm, I'm not sure I'll be home in time for dinner,” the Doctor replied, sipping his morning coffee, “I'm taking my car to the inspection after work and I can't say how long that will take.”  
Technically that wasn't even a lie. He was just withholding information. But when the Doctor looked at his friend he thought that Joe almost seemed disappointed and suddenly he felt a little guilty. He had been close to the perfect flatmate for the last week. No more female guests, he cleaned his dished, fed Yoko when she was hungry and generally seemed to haven taken the Doctor's words to heart. And the Doctor also realized that he hadn't exactly acted like a good friend ever since the start of the new semester, having spent most of his time in his own room thinking about Clara Oswald and afraid that his friend would tease him if he found out about his feelings for his student.  
“We could do that tomorrow,” the Doctor suggested, “I have absolutely nothing planned for tomorrow and I'll even buy the pizza.”  
“Sounds even better,” Joe replied with a grin.  
“And don't forget your appointment with Missy today,” he reminded his friend.  
Joe groaned at the thought of that. “Damn, I knew there was a reason why I dreaded this Monday especially.”  
The Doctor sighed as he rose from his chair. “Just tell her it was a study group and you realize a pub isn't an appropriate place for that and you won't to it again.”  
He reached for his briefcase and made his way to the door. A long day was lying ahead of him. Classes, the car inspection and of course his meeting with Clara. He was looking forward to that last part especially even though he knew he really shouldn't.

 

* * *

 

Clara checked her look in the mirror for the 20th time, teasing and ruffling her hair only to realize she hated how messy it looked and combed it down again. Not satisfied with that either she repeated the first move with the same outcome. She put her hair in a ponytail but that ended up looking even more stupid and finally she let out a long groan. Why was she even making an effort at all? The Doctor had seen her so many times by now in class to which she had showed up anything but pretty. So Clara had determined that she indeed had a crush on him, big deal. That was no reason to completely lose her mind over the way she looked and the only reason she had invited him over at all was so she could give him the old guitar that had been lying around in her basement for a decade. And also to make sure he really fancied her of which she wasn't exactly certain. The signs were there even though she had missed them for way too long. And suddenly her phone rang, interrupting her internal dialogue.  
“Amy, this isn't the best timing,” Clara answered the call breathlessly.  
“Is everything okay?” her friend asked, sounding worried, “You seemed a little off today. I just called to make sure you were alright.”  
“I am. Just. . .” Clara paused, not sure whether she could tell Amy about it just yet. No, better not yet, “I'm sort of expecting company any moment now. Male company.”  
“Oh my God, Clara,” her friend exclaimed, “I need details! Who is it?!”  
“Someone I met in class,” she replied and it wasn't even a lie. But if she told Amy now it would just make everything unnecessarily weird, “I'll tell you another time. He could be here any second.”  
“Alright, you know the rules. Have fun and use protection!”  
“Amy!” Clara gasped, “It's not _that_ sort of a date. I'm just nervous. . . I think I like him.”  
“Rules still apply. See you tomorrow!”

As soon as Clara had hung up the door bell rang and she took another deep breath, straightened her skirt one more time and pressed the button that opened the door to the building. She waited for him by the open door and a short while later the Doctor stepped up the last flight of stairs.  
“Hello,” he greeted her with his usual shy smile.  
“Hey,” Clara replied and opened the door a little wider, “Come on in.”  
“I must say I'm a little curious. Your messages sounded quite mysterious,” he laughed nervously while Clara led him into the living room. She had dusted off the old electric guitar and propped it up on her sofa for lack of a proper guitar stand. It had spent the last decade in a waterproof case along with the small amp in some remote corner in her basement.  
“There it is,” Clara said proudly and pointed at the guitar.  
She hadn't really expected the Doctor to jump up with joy, he was too much of a gentleman to accept it lightly from her but the look on his face was one of pure confusion.  
“It's the guitar,” Clara explained just in case he hadn't realized what she had been pointing at, “I want you to have it.”  
The Doctor turned to look at her, frowning. “I can't accept that, Clara,” he said, dumbfounded, but still took another step towards her couch and took a closer look, “That's a Gibson SG. That's a good guitar.”  
He looked back at her, appearing to be completely at a loss. She smiled kindly at him.  
“Please, Doctor. I _really_ want you to have it,” she replied sincerely, “I bought it after graduating from school, I had a phase and I never even managed more than the e minor chord. It's been gathering dust in my basement ever since. There's a case and an amp, oh, and a cable to go with it.”  
“Clara-”  
“Please,” she almost begged him, “If it makes you feel better I bought it used. It wasn't that expensive. I don't even know why I held on to it for so long, I will never play. If you had it at least it would serve its purpose.”  
“I don't know,” he said hesitantly.  
Still Clara remained smiling at him. “Come on,” she teased him, “At least try it out. I know you want to.”  
Finally the frown faded from his face and was replaced by an almost boyish smirk. Clara couldn't tell why but that look on him made her knees grow a little weaker.  
“Well, I guess there's no harm in trying it out,” he said and proceeded to take off his rain soaked coat to hang over the nearest chair. 

The Doctor positioned himself on the sofa, the guitar on his lap and Clara sat down next to him, plugging the amp into the socket so he could play. He spend a few minutes tuning the instrument but slowly Clara could hear the sound of the strings take on their proper tone. It wasn't long until he began playing an actual song and Clara just sat there, staring at him, admiring how good he still was despite not playing for decades. And she really admired him, not just as her professor, but as a man. He was smart and handsome, a true gentleman, and the way he was so shy around her just made him all the more likeable. But did he really feel the same way towards her?  
“I was right,” the Doctor concluded when he had finished the song, “It _is_ a good guitar.”  
“Then it's decided,” she replied with a smile, “It's yours.”  
“Clara,” he looked up at her, the insecurity so visible in his eyes.  
“Just say thank you and take it,” she said and without thinking she leaned forward, placing her hand on his thigh.  
He flinched under the sudden gesture that was maybe a little too intimate and before Clara even had the chance to pull her hand back the Doctor had placed the guitar aside and jumped up from the sofa.  
“I'm sorry,” he spluttered, “I have to go.”  
Clara was just about to open her mouth and say something when he had already turned around and dashed out of the room, leaving his coat and the guitar behind as he ran. After a moment of hesitation Clara followed him. 

“Wait!” she called after the Doctor who was running down the stairs faster than she had anticipated, “Doctor!”  
There was no reply so she had no choice but to follow him and he didn't stop until he was standing outside, the rain pouring down on him. He had probably only just realized that his coat was still in her flat when Clara finally caught up with him.  
“Doctor, we need to talk,” she reached for his arm, determined to gain his attention when suddenly he shot back around and before Clara could even think the Doctor bent down and crashed their lips together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, how could it possibly go on now? Thank you all so much for the comments!!!


	16. Chapter 16

The Doctor couldn't think, he couldn't breathe, he could do nothing but kiss those soft lips that he had been dreaming about for weeks and they tasted so much better than he could have ever imagined. Something inside of him had just switched off and there was no holding him back now and not even Clara stopped him. She must have been surprised at least but she had yielded to his kiss almost immediately, opening her mouth to him while he had closed his arms around her waist and now they were standing there in the middle of the pavement in the pouring rain, arms around one another, lips locked and snogging each other as if their entire existence depended on it.  
When finally they parted lips to catch their breath Clara suddenly began to laugh and the Doctor couldn't help it but laugh with her, for a moment not thinking about how much trouble he was in but only enjoying the happiness of having kissed the woman he had been wanting to kiss for so long. And now that he had he didn't really want to stop but as luck would have it neither did Clara. Her hands reached for the lapels of his jacket before she pulled him back down to meet her, sliding her tongue so deliciously over his lips that it left him craving more. He wanted to do this for hours hadn't it been for the rain and the increasing cold.  
“We should probably go back inside,” Clara said breathlessly when he came up for air.  
“No, I think I should go,” what was left of his sanity spoke from inside of him. He really should. This thing with Clara couldn't end well.  
“Well, your coat is still in my flat and I'm assuming so are your car keys. And the guitar.”  
“Yeah, about that-” the Doctor was interrupted when Clara kissed him again, only a slightly longer peck compared to what they had been doing before but an interruption nonetheless.  
“I'll keep kissing you until you take it,” she threatened, giggling.  
The Doctor cocked an eyebrow. “You do realize that's not much of a threat?”  
“Shut up,” she grinned at him before she pressed her mouth on his own once more and the Doctor pulled her closer, holding their bodies together for warmth and because he wanted to feel her. Clara Oswald appeared to be all he had ever wanted right now and holding her like that while their lips seemed unable to part was almost like a miracle and it made his heart dance around wildly inside his chest. He could just drown in her kisses, forgetting everything else, even the fact that their romance was doomed from the beginning. 

It took them forever to walk all the way up to her flat, they just couldn't stop kissing each other and when he wasn't kissing Clara the Doctor wanted to at least look at her, memorize her face, her eyes, the way her hair wouldn't quite stick behind her ear and before he knew it they landed back on the sofa and Clara was in his arms and their lips were touching again. He was sure that an hour had passed before his mouth started feeling a little numb and his pants were beginning to rub uncomfortably against his arousal. The Doctor knew that it was time to leave before he made a mistake that he might come to regret, even if it was the kind of mistake he would love to make.  
“Or. . . you could stay,” Clara suggested sheepishly, “If you like.”  
The Doctor sighed because the temptation was there. He wanted to. “Clara,” he began, “This isn't exactly allowed.”  
“I know but. . . no one would have to know.”  
The Doctor smiled sadly and reached for her hand, placing a soft kiss to the back of it before he looked at her. “I think you should hear the full reason. It's not just that it's frowned upon, it's in my contract. I can get fired for being intimate with my students and the fact that you're older than the average student or the fact that we're both adults doesn't change that I signed that contract. It's still forbidden.”  
He could hear Clara swallow. “So you're saying you don't actually want to do this. That's okay, I guess,” she replied, her voice more than just a little disappointed, “You could lose your job. I get it.”  
When he looked up at her to see her so sad, so disappointed all the Doctor wanted to do was to kiss her again and never stop. He had been dreaming about her for so long but never had he actually considered she might feel the same. But she did. And now his conflict had only grown.  
“Oh Clara,” he whispered and bent forward to kiss her again. He needed to, to remind him of what he would be missing out on if he decided against it, “You're driving me insane, do you know that?”  
She only stared at him in reply.  
“I won't stay over night. At least not yet,” he told her calmly, “I need a bit more time. Up until an hour ago I had assumed you were my hopeless crush and I'm more than a bit confused right now.”  
The Doctor lifted his hand to her cheek and caressed it softly, finally making her smile again. “Give me some time. Can you do that?”  
Clara nodded. “I can do that,” she paused, her smile growing cheeky, “ _If_ you take the guitar.”  
The Doctor groaned. “You got me. Yes, yes,” he said in defeat, “I'll take the guitar.”

 

* * *

 

When the Doctor walked down the stairs into the kitchen he found that Joe had woken up before him again and already prepared coffee.  
“We have a problem!” Joe announced immediately, “Dude, where were you last night? I waited for you until midnight cause I wanted to tell you something!”  
“What problem? Did Missy fire you?”  
“She wants to but she doesn't have any proof that I really had sex with a student but that isn't the problem. The problem is _Missy_!”  
The Doctor frowned at him. His brain was still half asleep after he had come home so late last night and he couldn't quite follow. “Uhm, so Missy wanting to fire you isn't the problem but Missy is? _How_?”  
“She's the one!”  
“The one what?”  
Joe started to laugh. “I know, it's insane. I've known her since college and I never really thought about her like that but when she yelled at me yesterday all I could think about was how badly I wanted to kiss her. Doc, I'm telling you. She's the one. It hit me yesterday like it hit me with Louise back then.”  
The Doctor could do nothing but stare blankly at his friend, still trying to figure out whether he was joking or not. “You're right,” he said after a moment, “That _is_ insane.”  
“I need your help. It's been ages since I did that sort of thing and I've completely forgotten how that works, so, how do I get a woman to like me?”  
“Joe, in case that little detail slipped your mind – Missy hates you,” the Doctor reminded his friend gently.  
“I know and I need to change that. How do I do that?”  
The Doctor sighed. Missy had been holding on to that grudge since she was 22 and there was probably very little his friend could do to change that. “Stop being an asshole.”  
“That's it? 'Don't be an asshole'?”  
“It's a start and I'm not even sure you can do that much,” the Doctor said and reached for his briefcase, “I'll get the pizza after work and we'll talk about this tonight, okay? Oh, and don't do anything potentially stupid in the meantime.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your comments and your screams :) So, here it is, huh? The Long-awaited kiss :D


	17. Chapter 17

Clara waited impatiently in front of his office door, hoping that the Doctor would show up soon. She couldn't wait until classes on Thursday to see him again, especially because they wouldn't have the opportunity to talk anyway and she desperately needed to speak to him. After he had left her flat last night she had wanted to smack herself because she had never told him what was really on her mind. She liked him and the Doctor should know that. And Clara also kind of wanted to know what exactly he had meant by “I need time”. Did he not want to see her at all? Did he still want to hang out with her some time, chat, maybe kiss? Was it just sex that was off limits for now? Until when? Her mind was a complete mess right now. And then finally the Doctor turned around the corner and almost stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her waiting for him.  
“Clara,” he blurted out once he had approached her, “Wh-what are you doing here?”  
“I came to talk about my essay,” she replied with a smile and he seemed visibly relieved.  
“O-okay, come on in.”

The Doctor closed the door behind them and as soon as he had turned back around Clara got up on tiptoes and kissed him. The initial surprise and stiffness was soon gone and she could feel him opening up to her again, giving in to the kiss like he had done last night while his hands cupped her cheeks so gently that she never wanted this to end.  
“I lied,” she giggled shyly when their lips parted.  
The Doctor still seemed a little out of breath. “I can see that.”  
“I just needed to talk to you and then, well, I couldn't help myself,” Clara began to explain, “I like you.”  
A smile spread over his face. “I like you, too, Clara. But if someone saw us, if someone walked in-”  
Gently she placed her index finger over his lips, stopping his thoughts. “I know. And I really just came to talk. I'll give you all the time you need but I need to know what that means. Do you want to stop spending time with me or-”  
“Absolutely not,” the Doctor interrupted her, “I want to see you and I want to kiss you and. . . but. . .”  
“But what?”  
The Doctor sighed and stepped away from her, crossing his office until he came to a halt in front of his desk. He leaned back against it and watched her for a moment.  
“I'm conflicted,” he confessed, “This isn't right and I shouldn't want it – but I do. I think a part of me still can't believe what is happening right now. It's just all really, really confusing.”  
“Well, you're not alone in there,” Clara admitted after a moment, “I'm also confused. I've admired you ever since I read your book but this is kinda new and still a little unexpected and the fact that you're my professor doesn't really make it less complicated.”  
“Let's go to Brighton on Saturday,” the Doctor suddenly suggested out of the blue.  
“What?”  
“Or somewhere else,” he said, “Where no one knows us, where we don't have to be careful. Just you and me, getting to know each other, spending time together like we did at the Renaissance fair.”  
Clara smiled at him. “It's October.”  
He shrugged. “The ocean is still pretty and the weather is supposed to be nice. Or we could go somewhere else. If you want to, of course. It's your choice.”  
“I want to,” she agreed, “And Brighton sounds nice.”  
The only thing that bothered her about the idea was that it was still four days until Saturday but Clara didn't want to complain about that.  
“Do you have to go to your class right away or can I offer you a cup of tea?” the Doctor asked as he made his way towards the mini kitchen that really only consisted of a kettle and a coffee maker at the end of the room.  
“I think there's still time for a cup of tea,” Clara smiled and took a seat after the Doctor had gestured towards the chair. And then something crossed her mind, “You know, we don't actually have to wait til Saturday. I don't know, maybe you could come to my place tonight and I'll cook something.”  
While the water was beginning to boil the Doctor turned around to look at her and Clara could read the conflict from his face. “I, erm, I can't.”  
“Oh,” she uttered in reply, “Well, that's okay.”  
“No,” he immediately said, “I'm just saying I already have plans for tonight. Joe and I wanted to get pizza and he's been quite a decent flatmate since I told him off the other day. It would be rude to blow him off. But I'm free tomorrow.”  
A wide grin spread across her face. “Tomorrow sounds perfect. My place at 7? Oh, and I hope you like spaghetti.”  
The way the smiled at her in reply told her that he did and Clara couldn't wait until tomorrow night.

 

* * *

 

“I brought pizza,” the Doctor announced as he stepped into his living room and found Joe in front of the telly, watching some soap opera with little interest.  
“And about time!” he commented.  
“Sorry, there was a queue at the pizza place. Apparently it's pizza night for half of London,” he explained as he sank down on the sofa next to his friend and he knew a serious conversation was about to start when Joe used to remote to mute the girl on telly confessing to her mother that she had found a girlfriend.  
“I sent Missy flowers today,” Joe admitted, “Didn't go so well.”  
The Doctor groaned. “I told you not to do anything potentially stupid, Joe! What were you thinking?!”  
“I was thinking about what my mother taught me, that girls like flowers. Do you know how long it's been since I sent a woman flowers?”  
The Doctor wasn't even sure he wanted to know.  
“7 years!”  
“Missy is not a woman you have just met that you can send flowers to make your intentions known,” he explained impatiently, “She hates you and it's gonna take more than a nice bouquet to change that. She knows you and the only thing she is going to think is that you either want to talk her into not firing you or that you just want to get into her knickers. Or both.”  
“Then how do I convince her that I'm seriously interested?”  
The Doctor raised his eyebrows. “ _Are_ you seriously interested?”  
Joe looked at him for a moment and the Doctor could tell that there was something his friend was trying to say but he was still looking for the right words.  
“I'm lonely, okay?” Joe spat after a moment, “I'm fucking lonely. I can't be without a woman in my life, I don't know how you do it but I can't. Louise made me see that, she made me see that being in a loving relationship was actually a nice thing and I miss it. All those women I've been with since her were a nice distraction for a night or two but they don't make that feeling go away. Missy is different and I don't know how I didn't see it before. Don't you ever get lonely?”  
The Doctor was a little taken aback by the question. Of course he did, otherwise he wouldn't be talking to his cat all the time and when Joe had first come to stay with him the Doctor had been so happy to have company. And even right now he felt lonely, every time he wasn't with Clara there was this emptiness inside of him.  
“All the time,” the Doctor admitted.  
“And what do _you_ do about it?”  
_What I had sworn never to do. Falling for a student._ “I got Yoko,” he explained.  
“Yeah, I'm not a pet person.”  
The Doctor sighed. “If you really mean it, the thing with Missy, then go for it. But I'm warning you that it might not work, she might not come to like you and even if that's gonna take time. A _lot_ of time.”  
“I'm all ears. Tell me, what do I do?”  
The Doctor was anything but convinced that it was going to work but still he told his friend all he knew about Missy, what she liked, how he could find subtle ways to be nice to her without looking like an idiot and Joe listened intently, probably already making plans in his head about how he was eventually going to seduce her and when the Doctor went to bed he had learned one thing: He needed to bring Clara flowers when he went over to her place the following night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments! You have no idea how happy it makes me to see that you all love it so much <3


	18. Chapter 18

Clara opened the door to find a huge bouquet of flowers being held into her face and she laughed at the sight when the Doctor's face popped up from behind it.  
“You really didn't have to do this. Thank you,” she smiled when she took the flowers from him and smelled them. They had a fresh spring scent to them, “Come on in.”  
“You said you'd make dinner so I thought I'd bring you something nice. A Ferrari or a cheque over a million pounds didn't seem appropriate so I went for flowers,” he joked.  
“Damn and I so wanted a Ferrari,” Clara laughed, took him by the hand and pulled him down to her level to give him a swift kiss on the lips, “You can do the Ferrari next time.”  
While she led him into her living room where she had already set the table Clara couldn't help but smell the flowers again before putting them in a vase. The Doctor was so sweet and attentive and no man had ever brought her flowers before on just the second date. Second date? Clara guessed this would be the second, if the trip to the Renaissance fair counted as their first. 

“Is this our second date?” Clara asked him when she placed two plates full of delicious looking spaghetti on the living room table.  
The Doctor looked at her in confusion. “No, it's definitely not our second date.”  
She sat down at the table and reached for the silver. “Why not? There was the trip to the Renaissance fair but I wouldn't count the day before yesterday as date.”  
“The Renaissance fair wasn't a date. We just went out and had fun.”  
“Okay,” Clara shrugged, “Okay, so _this_ is our first date.”  
The Doctor's frown only deepened and under his look Clara grew increasingly nervous. They had kissed, they had told each other how they felt. So far she had assumed that the path they were heading down was clear. But apparently she was the only one thinking that.  
“You're still uncomfortable with the idea of dating your student,” Clara realized.  
“It's not that,” he replied immediately, “Well, I do think it's not the wisest choice I've ever made but it's really not that. You're a remarkable woman, Clara. I should be treating you on a first date, not let you cook for me. I feel like I'm doing this all wrong.”  
A smile crossed her lips. “If you want to you can make up for that on Saturday. I'm really looking forward to going to Brighton. And now let's eat before everything gets cold.”  
And finally the Doctor agreed. 

 

After dinner and talking a lot about their jobs Clara convinced him to retreat to the sofa and watch a movie together. She offered him to pick one from her collection and the Doctor chose a DVD about Henry VIII with Ray Winstone in the leading role so they could make fun of the historical inaccuracies. When the film started Clara snuggled against his side and felt the Doctor's arm settle around her shoulder. The way she felt so comfortable with him almost scared her. He was her professor and technically still a stranger but when they talked or kissed she completely forgot about that and let herself fall. It didn't take the Doctor very long to lean in closer and eventually their lips brushed again, reluctantly at first before their kiss deepened and Clara could feel a warm tingle spread over her body. The Doctor's hands settled on her waist and in her hair while she caressed his chest, noticing to her delight that beneath the shirt it felt just right between strong and soft. For a brief moment she wondered if he would allow her to explore further and decided to go for it, slipping her hand beneath his shirt to feel his skin. His chest was so warm underneath her palm and rippled with goosebumps at the new sensation. Reluctantly he answered her touch by letting his hand wander down to her leg and beneath her skirt, the feeling of his caress tingling on her skin and almost starting a fire in her loins. Clara was so curious for him that she felt like she wanted everything about him at once while she slowly moved to sit on his lap. To her surprise the Doctor didn't even protest but instead he moaned into her mouth as she pressed herself down onto his crotch.  
She left his lips and began kissing her way down his throat, nibbling a little harder at his skin and when he moaned again it sent shivers all the way down her spine and right into her core. In a surge of bravery Clara reached down and palmed him through his trousers, noticing how hard he was already and it filled her with pure delight.  
“Clara,” the Doctor whispered hoarsely and when she looked up she knew that this was as far as they would go tonight.  
“I'm sorry,” she apologized immediately, “I know, I know. Baby steps. It's okay. I just got a little carried away.”  
“Don't apologize,” he replied with a smile, “I want you very much but I need to get this voice out of my head that's telling me I'm a creepy, old pervert.”  
Clara cocked an eyebrow at him. “What if I'm into creepy old perverts?” she asked, laughing, and so did he, “It's okay. We don't have to rush it. Just this is already wonderful.”  
Before she knew what was happening he closed his arms around her and pulled them both down to lie on the sofa, completely tangled in one another.  
“Let's just cuddle and finish the movie, okay?” he suggested.  
Clara smiled at him. “Sounds great.”  
She turned around on the sofa to face the screen again, realizing that Henry VIII was already wooing his third wife and snuggled her back against the Doctor while he rested his arms tightly around her. 

 

* * *

 

Clara heard the alarm in the distance and her sleepy mind found it hard to figure out where the noise was coming from. Her bed was so comfortable and warm that she had no intention whatsoever of leaving it any time soon but as the alarm continued to rouse her from her dreams she became increasingly aware that she wasn't in her bed at all and that the warmth surrounding her wasn't coming from a blanket but. . .  
Her eyes shot open and immediately noticed the telly playing the DVD menu on repeat. Clara was still on her sofa and the Doctor's arms were still wrapped gently around her.  
“Doctor, wake up,” she turned around in his embrace and for a moment she felt bad for having to wake him up. But he had classes and so did she. The same class.  
He frowned in his sleep and when she shook him lightly the Doctor eventually opened his eyes and looked at her in horror.  
“It's alright, we fell asleep on the sofa,” she told him calmly.  
“I have to get to class!” he blurted out but Clara held him down when he tried to jump up from the couch.  
“Don't worry, it's only 8. We've got enough time for a shower and breakfast. I always set my alarm early.”  
That seemed to have calmed him and slowly he rose into a sitting position, yawning as he did so. Clara couldn't help but notice how adorable he looked with his sleepy, slightly dreamy face and his wild bed hair. It was a sight she thought she would definitely like to wake up to more often.  
“You can use my shower if you want to, there's fresh towels on the shelf and there's a new toothbrush somewhere, too. I'll make us coffee in the meantime,” she suggested.  
The Doctor looked down at himself and groaned. “My clothes look like I slept in them. I wonder how that happened.”  
His joke made Clara giggle. “I'll give you a wire hanger. Just hang them next to the shower and they'll be as good as new.”  
He cocked an eyebrow at her.  
“That's ironing for lazy people,” she explained, “Trust me.”

When she started to hear the shower running Clara went into the kitchen and began to prepare breakfast. She hadn't really had time to do a lot of grocery shopping this week but she still found toast in the cupboard and a selection of spreads in the fridge and when the coffee was done the Doctor stepped out of the bathroom.  
“You were right,” he said and turned around in front of her, “Almost completely wrinkle-free. I need to remember that trick.”  
She smiled at him and marvelled at his handsome silhouette before pointing towards the set breakfast table. Hesitantly the Doctor took a seat.  
“I should probably go and prepare for the lecture,” he said, taking a sip from his coffee.  
“Don't be silly. There's more than enough time and my mum taught me that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”  
“Your mum is a wise woman,” the Doctor remarked and reached for a slice of toast.  
“Was,” Clara corrected him.  
The Doctor looked up at her and opened his mouth. “I'm sorry, I didn't know.”  
“You couldn't have and it's okay,” she reassured him, “I guess we don't really know each other yet.”  
“We could change that. We've got all day Saturday,” he suggested and Clara smiled at him in reply. She would love to get to know him better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awwww, thank you so much for the lovely comments!


	19. Chapter 19

A knock on his office door tore the Doctor from the preparation for his next lecture and he looked up to see Joe enter. Right. His flatmate. Who hadn't seen him since yesterday morning and the smile on his friend's face already told the Doctor everything he needed to know about what was going on in his mind.  
“Soooooooo,” Joe grinned, “Who is she?”  
“Who is who?” the Doctor asked, deciding to play dumb. Maybe he would get away with it.  
“You didn't come home last night, or at least I didn't hear you. So either you were with a woman or a man but I don't think you've switched sides, so tell me.”  
The Doctor sighed. “Why does everything have to be about sex?” he asked, making his annoyance known, “A former colleague I worked with is in town, we went out for a couple of beers. You were already asleep when I came home and you were still sleeping when I left the house for an early appointment.”  
It was a blatant lie but if he told Joe the truth his friend would laugh at him and he would have to justify why he had spent the night with a woman without anything happening and the Doctor was less than keen on that simply because he didn't really understand it himself. Clara was perfect and he wanted to be with her in every way but something kept holding him back.  
Joe let out a tired sigh. “Man, and I had already gotten my hopes up. You need a woman, Doc. How long has it been, huh? One day you're gonna meet someone and then you'll realize you've forgotten how to use your equipment.”  
“I will not forget how to use my. . .” he paused, more than unhappy with his friend's choice of words, “ _Equipment_.”  
But maybe that was it. Maybe that was why he was reluctant to go further with Clara. It had really been a while since he'd been with a woman if for no other reason than that he was a lot pickier than Joe. What if he disappointed Clara? The Doctor knew that she must have had at least a couple of boyfriends before and if there was one thing the Doctor knew it was that women usually picked older men for their experience, which he had, but maybe not as much as Clara was imagining. The more he came to think about it the more it scared him. He was so much in love with her that it almost hurt and he was terrified that he would fall even deeper only to have Clara break his heart when she realized he wasn't what she truly wanted.  
Suddenly there was another knock on the door and a few moments later Missy barged into his office. The Doctor couldn't help but notice that his friend almost jumped up in surprise like he would have done had the woman entering been Clara. Love really made fools of them all.  
“Ahh, good, you're here,” Missy commented upon seeing him, “I didn't see your car in the faculty parking space. Just wanted to check cause you've already got a few impatient students waiting in front of the lecture hall.”  
“I parked elsewhere,” he said simply. Because he had offered Clara a ride as well and he hadn't wanted anyone to see them together.  
“Hey Missy, how are you?” Joe asked a little nervously, putting on his brightest smile.  
She glared at him in response and her gaze wandered from Joe's head to toe as if she was inspecting him. “Don't feel too safe, Mr Schmidt. I'm still keeping an eye on you.”  
He beamed at her. “Quite the contrary. You having an eye on me makes me feel much safer.”  
The last remark made Missy frown but eventually she shrugged it off. “Don't you two have lectures to hold?”  
Without a goodbye she turned around and left the Doctor's office. When he looked at his friend Joe was grinning.  
“You know how hopeless it is, don't you?” the Doctor asked him but his friend didn't appear to be listening.

 

* * *

 

The Doctor had been looking forward to their trip to Brighton with mixed feelings and his doubts didn't fade even as Clara got into the car with him and greeted him with a kiss on the lips. It took them about two hours to get to Brighton and they talked about unimportant matters during the ride, his classes, her school work, music and the books they were reading and the Doctor was beginning to loosen up a little. He enjoyed her company so much. Clara made him feel a little younger, a little more alive and it was terrible because he wanted to know what she was feeling about him, what exactly she was feeling, and he was too afraid to ask. The doubts that Joe had put in his mind just didn't want to leave – what if Clara was only dating him because she was looking for an experienced man?  
“I've seen the picture you posted on Facebook. Yoko sleeping on your pillow,” Clara said, laughing, “She looks like the dream of a cat.”  
The Doctor couldn't help but laugh with her. “More a nightmare of a cat. You know it was actually her who sent you the friend request on Facebook?”  
Clara cocked an eyebrow. “How so?”  
“Well, I had found your profile and I was thinking that I probably shouldn't send out invites to my students – and then Yoko walked right across the keyboard.”  
Somehow this made Clara laugh even more and suddenly the Doctor felt her reach for his hand.  
“I want to meet Yoko now so I can give her the best cat treats available and thank her. Who knows how long we would have pined after each other without her help.”  
The Doctor turned around to look at her and already opened his mouth to speak but he thought better of it and faced the road again. Clara wouldn't have pined after him, at least not for long. She would have met someone else.  
When he finally stopped in a parking space not far from the beach they both got out of the car. He insisted on carrying the heavy picnic basket that he had packed for both of them and handed Clara a pile of blankets.  
“Do you want to spend the night on the beach or what are all those blankets for?” she asked, giggling.  
“I didn't want you to be cold,” he replied, a little taken aback. Did she think this trip was designed to seduce her? Was she expecting that from him?

But apart from a smile Clara gave away nothing else as they walked down to the beach. The Doctor noticed that they weren't the only people who had used the lovely October weather for a trip. He spotted a few couples, some people playing fetch with their dogs and a couple of families.  
“This looks like a nice spot,” Clara said when she stopped on a patch of ground that was a little less stony than the rest. After the Doctor had agreed she spread two blankets on top of each other and sank down. He followed her example and Clara immediately scooted closer, resting her head on his shoulder.  
“This reminds me of my hometown,” Clara said with a sigh, “I'm from Blackpool and when we were teenagers we would always hang out by the beach. Summer, winter, it didn't really matter. Got my first kiss by the beach, too. Tommy. We were so scared that our braces would get caught in the other.”  
The Doctor couldn't help but laugh at the image. “And did they?” he asked.  
“Of course not,” she replied, nestling her cheek against his shoulder, “Who was your first?”  
The Doctor took a deep breath and told her about the girl from his school that had fancied him and that he hadn't even noticed until she had actually kissed him. Their teenage romance had lasted three years, which Clara found to be quite impressive for their age. When she asked he also told her about his ex wife and how it hadn't really worked out between the two of them.  
“My last boyfriend died,” she confessed eventually.  
For a moment the Doctor was too lost for words to say anything.  
“It's okay,” she reassured him, “It happened a few years ago. Car accident. He was a teacher at the same school but with all the changes happening in my life right now, going back to university and that, I think it's time for me to move on. I've felt like moving on for quite a while.”  
Clara paused and the Doctor could feel that she was looking at him. Eventually he turned his head and saw her lovely smile.  
“I'm glad I've met you,” she said sincerely.  
He was about to reply that he felt the same, that he couldn't stop thinking about her, that he wanted her in every possible way, that it scared him senseless but then his gaze shifted and he spotted a couple behind them. They were both around his age and they were looking at Clara and him disdainfully and the woman was even shaking her head. The Doctor swallowed hard.  
“Are you sure that you want this?” he found himself asking, “I'm your professor, I'm so much older than you and I'm not sure I can give you what you-”  
The Doctor was interrupted when Clara suddenly kissed him and he decided to just let himself fall backwards while Clara landed on top of him and enjoy what was happening. Because he couldn't tell how long it would last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, thank you, thank you for the comments!!!


	20. Chapter 20

Clara took a deep breath and clutched her finished essay a little tighter before she knocked on the Doctor's office door. She had made up her mind after their trip to Brighton and realized that all he probably needed was a push in the right direction. And she was willing to give it to him.  
“Come on in,” he said and with a smile Clara entered.  
“I finished the essay,” she announced happily and placed it neatly on his desk, “Proofread and printed last night.”  
The Doctor laughed. “You know you could've just emailed it to me? The university pays for my ink and paper.”  
“I also wanted to see you,” she admitted sheepishly.  
He sighed audibly. “Clara, we talked about this. Not here.”  
She stopped his protests when she kissed him, a little more fiercely this time, and pressed their bodies together. Clara wanted to be with him, really be with him and she knew that he wanted it, too. But the Doctor was shy and he had doubts and she intended to kiss them all away. When their kiss deepened and she slid her hand downwards to palm him through his trousers she could hear him moan softly into her mouth. His resistance was fading away and Clara knew that if she pushed it he would take her right here on this table. But that wasn't her intention and after a few minutes she broke the kiss.  
The Doctor gulped audibly. “Clara, we can't keep kissing in my office.”  
“I know,” she reassured him, “I know that. That's why I wanted to invite you.”  
His eyebrows shot up.  
“Tomorrow night. My place,” she smiled at him, “No one is gonna see us and no one is gonna know.”  
“I could bring that movie that we talked about on our way back from Brighton,” he suggested but Clara immediately shook her head.  
“No movie this time,” she replied, smiling, “I'll make us a nice dinner, put on some music, and then we can have our official third date.”  
When the Doctor didn't answer Clara raised her eyebrows. “You know what I'm implying, right?” she asked, wrapping her hands around his waist.  
“Yes,” he said, sounding a little breathless, “I know.”  
“Good,” she grinned at him, “I'll see you at 7.”

 

* * *

 

Clara had gone all out for this date because she could feel that the Doctor still had doubts and she wanted to show him that there was nothing he had to worry about. Of course their relationship wasn't allowed but as long as they kept it out of the university building no one would ever have to know. Clara had prepared his favourite meal, opened a bottle of wine, placed a CD that she knew he liked in her player, showered and shaved, put on a nice dress and even lit a few candles around the place. With a satisfied smile she let her gaze wander over her flat and realized that it was perfect.  
It was silly that even she felt a little nervous by now, her stomach fluttering like it was filled with butterflies at the thought of it and Clara knew that she had made the right choice. And the Doctor was the best choice of all.

Clara grew a little concerned when she noticed that it was already 7 pm but she assumed that the Doctor had just been caught up in the traffic. She checked her phone but there was no message. Of course not. They had never actually exchanged their phone numbers, something she only realized now and he had no way of calling her even if he got stuck in a traffic jam.  
To be sure that she hadn't missed him saying something about being late she reached for her tablet and opened Facebook but the Doctor was offline. And he hadn't left a message so she wrote him just in case. 

At 8 pm Clara was beginning to grow angry at him and also a little at herself. They should have swapped numbers for cases like these. The Doctor should have left his house on time or if he didn't intend to show up he should have at least written her a message. Making her wait like this was just unacceptable. 

When by 9 pm she still hadn't heard anything from him that anger was replaced by worry. What if something had happened to him on his way here? Clara knew from experience how quickly accidents could happen and what had happened once could just as well happen again. Standing her up just wasn't something the Doctor would do to her, not without cancelling. And he hadn't done that. Clara walked towards the window and looked down on the street, hoping to see the lights of his car pull up to her apartment building but they never appeared. 

 

* * *

 

The Doctor felt so terribly guilty for what he was doing to Clara but he couldn't help it. It was the best decision for both of them. He would keep his job and wouldn't have to go through the humiliation of not being enough for Clara when he so wanted to be and she could go off and find someone younger than him who didn't make her life unnecessarily complicated. The Doctor wasn't good enough for her and today was proof of that. He didn't even have the guts to tell her how he felt about her or how terrified he was and not even the amount of alcohol he'd drunk had managed to drown out the shame he felt for the way he was acting.  
“Hey, are you throwing a party without me?” the Doctor suddenly heard Joe's voice when his friend came home.  
The Doctor snorted. “Not a party,” he replied and noticed that the words didn't come out quite as he had expected them to. He must be more drunk than he had realized. And still it wasn't helping.  
Joe approached him carefully and lifted the bottle of Scotch off the table to have a closer look at it.  
“Expensive way to get drunk,” he remarked and took a swig from it himself, “Must be a serious problem. Wanna share it with me?”  
The Doctor tried to focus his gaze on Joe but soon noticed that it was no use. Instead he sank back against the sofa, the room spinning even more when he closed his eyes.  
“I fucked up,” he confessed. So what if Joe knew. What if he told him. It didn't matter now.  
His friend sat down on the couch next to him. “I already guessed that. What exactly did you fuck up?”  
“Clara,” the Doctor breathed, “Just couldn't do it. I'm not like you.”  
“Okay, you have to be a little more precise here. What exactly happened with Clara?”  
The Doctor shook his head frantically. “No, you'll laugh at me.”  
“I won't. I promise. You're my friend and the fact that you're sitting here, drunk off your ass and whining about a woman means that there's serious trouble there, so tell me,” Joe said and for once his voice sounded actually sincere.  
The Doctor couldn't help but laugh at his own miserable situation. “I'm in love with her,” he said simply, trying hard to get the words out as he leaned forward again to look at his friend, “She's great and she likes me and I couldn't do it. Maybe you're right. Maybe I _have_ forgotten how it works.”  
“Alright,” Joe said when he rose from his seat, “We should talk about this tomorrow when you're sober cause you're an idiot and I need you to remember that when I tell you.”  
“It's been an awfully long time after all. Hey! What are you doing?” the Doctor asked in confusion when his friend was reaching for his arm.  
“Helping you go to bed,” he said and suddenly the Doctor was propelled into a standing position. The floor felt all wrong beneath his feet. 

Somehow they managed to walk all the way upstairs to his bedroom and the Doctor let himself fall down on his bed, glad to not have to rely on his feet any longer.  
“We'll talk about Clara tomorrow,” Joe promised him, “When you're done complaining about your hangover.”  
The Doctor only managed to mutter something that was incomprehensible even to himself before Joe switched off the lights and closed the door behind him but soon enough the Doctor noticed that not all the lights had gone out. His laptop was still glowing right next to him and the picture of Clara in her Renaissance dress was staring back at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments and now I'm going to go into hiding. . .


	21. Chapter 21

When Clara woke up she immediately felt a surge of panic when the memory of last night came back to her. The Doctor hadn't showed up and she still didn't know whether something had come up or something had happened to him on his way to her. She immediately reached for her tablet to see if he had left her a message and let out a long sigh of relief when she spotted the little icon with his profile picture in the corner of her display. The Doctor was okay. That was all that mattered for now. She was so relieved that she let out another sigh, followed by an “ _Oh thank God!_ ”  
But when she opened the chat a deep frown started to line her face. Clara needed a moment to even make sense of the illegible combination of letters he had sent her and after having received enough drunk texts from friends and ex lovers she knew what state the Doctor had been in when he had written this.

John Smith:  
I'm ssorry clara. i know xyou were waiting forr me and i'm really sorrty. you're so buteaiful and i think i love you but ysou don't really want me. my friend says i halve oprbably forgotten hyow it works and i think eh's right. you'll dbe better off falling fovr someone else

“Bloody coward!” Clara cursed and threw her tablet across the bed, the anger she had briefly felt last night now rising back up inside of her. The Doctor had stood her up because he had been afraid! Clara took a deep breath, hardly believing what an idiot he was. Yes, maybe she had pushed him a little but at least he could have said that he was insecure and scared and she would have told him not to worry. She had fallen for him, too and he was ruining the fragile relationship they had started to build by being a coward and an idiot.

 

* * *

 

“Hangover breakfast!” Joe announced happily and the Doctor groaned when his friend came barging into his bedroom, carrying a tray of everything that made him want to throw up.  
“Go away,” the Doctor said and tried pulling the blanket over his head to drown out the light and the noise but Joe was quicker than that. With the duvet gone the Doctor had no other choice than to sit up and deal with his annoying flatmate.  
“I've brought aspirin and coffee and grapefruit juice and some toast,” his friend explained as he set the tray down on the bed, “And now I want explanations for yesterday's escapade.”  
“There is no explanation,” he replied grumpily and swallowed the aspirin with some coffee. He had no idea what Joe had done with the coffee but it seemed to have five times the strength of the one he normally drank and for a moment he wondered if his heart would even be able to take it.  
“Oh really,” Joe said, “I'm not sure. I mean, you were slurring pretty badly and some parts were lost on me but I do recall hearing the name Clara Oswald in combination with _love_.”  
Again the Doctor only groaned. Had he really confessed it all to Joe last night? He couldn't quite remember. He recalled Joe coming home and some talking but everything was blurry and hazy in his mind.  
“You can't get out of this one, so tell me. Or I'll ask _her_ ,” Joe said with the falsest of smiles.  
“Clara was right,” he said grumbling, “You _are_ an asshole.”  
He sighed but realized that Joe would never stop asking and since it seemed that he had really told Joe quite a few things the previous night he could just as well tell him the whole story now.  
“Clara and I, we. . . we were seeing each other. It started, I don't know, somehow I guess. I'm crazy about her, she's marvellous and I just kissed her and she kissed me back. That night you thought I was with a woman you were right. I was with Clara. We had fallen asleep watching a movie. And last night she had invited me to her place to. . . do it.”  
“Wait, you hadn't done it before? What are you? Teenagers?” Joe asked in disbelief.  
“I couldn't. She's my student and I guess somehow you were right and I was terrified that I couldn't give her what she wanted, that I couldn't please her and I kept thinking that it would probably be better if-”  
“So you didn't even go to her?”  
“No,” the Doctor admitted and yelped when Joe suddenly smacked him across the back of the head, “Ow! What the hell?!”  
“You're a fucking idiot and you deserve more than just a little smack!” his friend said angrily, “You finally meet a woman you like and she likes you back, man, I didn't think even _you_ could fuck up this badly. You need to talk to her and apologize!”  
“She's still my student,” the Doctor tried to argue.  
Joe rolled his eyes. “Remember that time we smoked weed on the campus ground and went to class completely stoned and nothing ever happened cause no one noticed?”  
Of course he remembered. It was one of the rare occasions he had let Joe talk him into breaking the rules.  
“I've been fucking my way around various campuses ever since I became a professor and they have caught me _once_ ,” Joe laughed, “And this is different. You two actually like each other. What makes you think you're gonna get caught? And even if – Missy likes you and if you tell her that you and Clara are in a real relationship, don't you think she's gonna look past that? And if you get fired, there's more than one university around here or you could write another book. And you sure as hell haven't forgotten how sex works, I was just teasing you. Just don't be a coward. Man up and go get the girl.”

For once the Doctor was actually grateful to be living with Joe and he was suddenly reminded why Joe was his friend. Because even if he could be an asshole at times he was usually right. And he was definitely right at this moment. He had been a coward and stupid and a complete idiot and right now even he couldn't understand why he hadn't just talked to Clara about his insecurities. He needed to talk to her. As soon as his head didn't feel like it was about to explode any second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments and thanks for not murdering me in my sleep :D


	22. Chapter 22

“Clara, are you alright?” Amy asked as soon as Clara had come to a halt next to the lecture hall doors and Clara had to try very hard to refrain from yelling at her. She was mad, no, she was properly pissed off at the Doctor and her cheerful friend was only making it worse. It took up most of her willpower not to take it out on every random person crossing her path.  
“Yes,” she replied grumpily and checked her watch. The Doctor's lecture was due to begin in five minutes and yet they were the only ones waiting in front of the doors, “Where is everyone? Are they inside already?”  
“No,” Amy explained, “Missy stopped by a few minutes ago to let us know the Doctor has cancelled all of his classes for today. Apparently he's sick. I wanted to wait for you and-”  
She didn't even hear her friend out before Clara turned on her heels and started walking into the direction of the Doctor's office. The Doctor wasn't sick and if he was brave enough to be in his office Clara would let him know exactly what she thought of his behaviour.  
“Clara!” Amy called after her, “Where are you going?”  
“The Doctor's office!”  
“But Clara! He called in sick!” her friend said but Clara didn't have the time or energy to explain anything to Amy right now, not while she was so furious that she would probably yell it across the entire campus.  
“I'll talk to you later!” was the only thing she said before she turned around the corner. 

Clara didn't even knock but barged straight into his office and she wasn't surprised to find the Doctor actually standing behind his desk, stuffing files into his briefcase. He looked up when she stormed inside and all of a sudden seemed dead scared. He opened his mouth to speak but Clara wouldn't let him. Not now. Not before she had said what she had come here for.  
“You are a fucking coward!” she yelled, slamming the door shut behind her. The Doctor flinched visibly at the noise and let out the tiniest groan. Seeing him like this made her even angrier than she had been before.  
“Clara, please, keep it down. My head-”  
“Your head is your own damn fault and you deserve every bit of pain!” she spat angrily, “In fact, it even makes me wanna shout at you a little more because you're an idiot! Chickening out of a date is one thing but the message you sent me was low, really, really low!”  
Clara paused, waiting for him to reply, to apologize or try to justify his actions. Instead she earned nothing but a frown.  
“What message?” he asked, seemingly confused, “What are you talking about?”  
“You drunk texting me of course! What else would I be talking about? And don't get me wrong, in any other context a message like this might have been sweet and I would've understood it but not like this! Not when you're being so bloody cowardly about us! I've seen some breakups but this is as low as it gets, Doctor!”  
Clara wasn't entirely sure what was happening but suddenly the Doctor slumped down in his office chair, banged his head on the table and covered it with his own hands. For a moment she got worried, thinking he was having some sort of breakdown until he finally spoke, even if it was heavily muffled.  
“I'm so sorry, Clara. I wanted to come to talk to you later because right now my head is killing me and I know it's all my fault and the fact that you're mad, and rightly so, is all my fault and I'm sorry. But please, please, tell me there wasn't anything embarrassing in that message.”  
Now it was up to Clara to frown. “You don't remember what you wrote me last night?” she asked warily.  
“Not even _that_ I wrote you. You were right. I was drunk when I must have written that message.”  
She decided to believe him if for no other reason than that he seemed absolutely horrified and ashamed. And it also gave her an idea. “Not much,” she replied, trying to sound matter-of-factly, “That you're sorry but you're scared you might have forgotten how to do it, that you think you love me and that you have fantasized about us doing it in Missy's office while she's watching.”  
His head shot up in a matter of seconds and he looked mortified. “I did not write that last part,” he said and Clara wasn't sure if it was a statement or another question.  
She decided to let him off the hook, at least for that. “No, you didn't write the last part. The other things you did write even though they were a little hard to decipher.”

The Doctor continued to stare at her for a long moment before a tired sigh came over his lips. “I'm sorry, Clara,” he said sincerely, “You're right. I am a coward and last night was-”  
When he broke off she raised her eyebrows at him. “Yes?”  
He granted her a sad smile. “You've completely turned my head, Clara Oswald. I can't think when you look at me like that with your big, brown eyes and yes, I got scared. I've never been confident around women, especially not the woman I'm in love with. I'm not the richest man, or the most handsome or the best lover. I'm just an idiot and I've always found it hard to believe that someone would fancy me, especially someone so young and beautiful like you.”  
Clara tried her best to suppress a smile even though she wanted to smile at him. Yet she kept a stern face. “Okay, go on,” she told him.  
The Doctor looked so lost that she was ready to forgive him on the spot but she was a teacher and he needed to be taught a lesson.  
“I was scared I would disappoint you because it's been a while for me, so I did the cowardly thing and stood you up before I would make a complete fool of myself. I regret it now and obviously I made a fool of myself after all.”  
“Yep, you did,” Clara confirmed.  
The Doctor paused. “So. . . what do you want to do now? Do you want to slap me like Joe did or-”  
“He slapped you?” she asked in disbelief.  
“I accidentally told him about us last night,” he confessed, “He slapped me for being an idiot and told me off.”  
The idea of Joe lecturing the Doctor made Clara giggle. “Wow, for once I agree with him on something.”  
“Clara,” the Doctor said earnestly and she knew what he wanted to hear. He wanted her to tell him that she forgave him, that his fears were silly and that they could try again but the thought of him being too scared to talk to her, of him doubting her made her angry again.  
“Why weren't you honest with me? You kept saying that you needed time because I'm your student but you never said you were scared of disappointing me, that you were scared I wouldn't like you cause you're not perfect. Neither am I! Do you really think I'm that shallow? So you're not a millionaire, I didn't expect that. I actually think you're handsome and you can't assume you're going to disappoint me in the bedroom because you didn't even try. And the fact that you're older did cross my mind but I wouldn't have gone out with you in the first place if that bothered me. I'm not ready to say that I'm falling in love because it's too new but I genuinely believe that I am heading there. Or at least I was until last night.”  
“So you want to break up with me.”  
“No,” Clara said immediately, “Absolutely not. I want you to make an effort. Make up for last night.”  
The Doctor frowned at her. “How?”  
Finally Clara smiled at him before she walked up to him, leaned across his desk and placed a long peck on his lips. She could feel that the Doctor was aiming for more, that he was longing for her touch but she pulled away.  
“Think of something,” she told him before she turned around and left his office without a goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the sweet comments! What do you say? Is there hope for those two idiots?


	23. Chapter 23

Convincing Joe to spend the night somewhere else wasn't easy and eventually the Doctor had to confess his real intentions, which earned him a smirk and finally the house to himself for a night. He spent most of Saturday afternoon cleaning the entire house under constant remarks from his friend and when Joe finally left the Doctor was able to take a shower, enjoying his first peaceful minutes of the day. Afterwards he dressed in a nice but casual suit to go and pick up Clara.  
His heart almost skipped a beat when she stepped into his car, her face framed by beautiful curls and her dress a little too chic for what he had planned. Clara was all dressed up for a night at a fancy restaurant and the Doctor suddenly felt a little guilty for not telling her about his plans beforehand.  
“So, where are you taking me?” she asked, the delight and curiosity audible in her voice before she leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.  
“Well,” the Doctor paused, not so sure anymore that she would actually like his plans, “I thought since you said you wanted to meet Yoko I'd take us to my place and we could cook something together. So if you want to change into something more comfortable there's still time. Or we could go to a restaurant if that's what you prefer?”  
Clara laughed lightly. “It's okay,” she reassured him and his nervousness lifted a little, “The dress is comfortable enough and cooking together sounds nice. Besides, I'm curious to see where you live. Let's do it like you've planned.”  
“Are you sure you're okay with that?” he felt like he still needed to ask.  
Clara smiled at him in reply. “Yes, I'm sure. Now drive before your car puts on rust,” she told him with a giggle and finally the Doctor did as she asked.  
“I read your essay yesterday,” the Doctor said after a while when Clara had fallen silent.  
“Oh,” she replied coyly, “Well, what did you think about it?”  
He smiled in her direction. “It's really good,” the Doctor said in earnest, “Not quite perfect yet but not far from it either. I gave you an A-.”  
“Really?” Clara asked back, sounding a little surprised and suddenly she hesitated, “You, erm, you didn't give me a good grade on it cause we're dating, did you?”  
“Absolutely not,” he replied sternly, taken aback by her question because it hadn't even crossed his mind, “I would never, Clara, and you need to know that. What happens between us will not influence any of your grades ever. Your essay was great for a very first attempt, the topic was well chosen and well researched. I was impressed and you deserve that grade.”  
Again she laughed and reached out to take his hand. “I was messing with you. Stop worrying and relax.”  
“Well, I am a little nervous,” he admitted eventually, “For reasons you already know.”  
“Yes. I know,” she replied calmly, squeezing his hand in her own, “And there is no need. We'll just. . . have a nice evening and see what happens, okay?”  
The Doctor lifted her hand to his mouth and gently kissed the back of it, his eyes remaining fixed on the road but he knew that next to him Clara was smiling. 

When they stepped inside his house the Doctor took her coat and left it by the door while he watched Clara walk deeper into his home, looking around curiously. All of a sudden he felt very glad to have spent the entire day cleaning because Clara seemed to inspect every corner with her eyes.  
“Where's your flatmate?” she asked after a while.  
The Doctor granted her a smile. “Threw him out for the night. He won't be back until tomorrow noon – or so he said at least.”  
“And the other flatmate? The furry one?”  
“Last time I saw her she was sleeping on the kitchen chair.”  
Yoko was still where he had assumed she would be and the Doctor watched Clara go down on her knees next to the chair and start to stroke Yoko's fur. The cat purred softly in response and nuzzled her head against Clara's palm.  
“She's adorable,” Clara said, smiling while she scratched the cat's chin.  
“And she likes you,” the Doctor noticed to his own relief. When Missy hadn't liked Yoko it had been obvious to the Doctor that a relationship like that could never work out. He had had Yoko for so long now that any woman in his life would have to at least tolerate the cat's presence. But seeing as Clara immediately bonded with his pet he didn't think it would be much of a problem.  
The Doctor cleared his throat after a while. “Do you want to start cooking?”  
She turned around and rose back to her feet. “Actually, I'm not really hungry yet but if you want to start that's okay.”  
“I'm not really hungry either,” he admitted, though in his case the reason was probably nervousness.  
When that question was settled he strode over to the counter, retrieved two glasses from the cupboard and began to pour them both wine which he had sat aside for this evening. Clara thanked him politely and took a sip before she sighed audibly.  
“Why are we so weird today?” she asked him, sounding a little frustrated, “You're nervous and it makes me nervous. Can't we just forget this date crap and instead hang out like two people who like being in each other's company?”  
He smiled in reply. “You're right,” he said and started kicking off his shoes before he took off his jacket and threw it over one of the kitchen chairs. Clara followed his example, took of her high heels and shook out her hair.  
“Okay, so, that's done. What now?”  
He shrugged but suddenly thought of something. “Oh, there's something I wanted to show you. Follow me!”

The Doctor walked up the stairs and into his own bedroom with Clara following him on his heels. The guitar was waiting for him next to his bed where he had left it the night before after practising for a few hours, ready to be picked back up.  
“You started playing again?” Clara asked him hopefully after she had closed the door behind them.  
He couldn't help but laugh.”You didn't really leave me a choice, did you?”  
“No,” Clara agreed.  
“Why don't you make yourself comfortable and I'll ruin your ears with a few songs?”  
Apparently that was all the invitation Clara needed before she let herself fall down on his bed and sank back into the pillows, looking at him expectantly as he picked up the guitar and unplugged the headphones from the amplifier. The Doctor sat on the edge of the bed and started playing a melody that had been on his mind for a while. He knew that Clara was listening intently and he knew that she was staring at him but he was afraid that as soon as he looked at her he would get distracted and so he kept his eyes focused on the strings while he played.  
“That was beautiful,” Clara whispered when he paused, “What's it called?”  
The Doctor turned to look at her. “Clara,” he said with a chuckle, “It's the melody that goes through my head when I look at you.”  
Suddenly the expression on her face changed. The Doctor wasn't sure what it meant or what she was thinking. Maybe he had overstepped some boundary that he hadn't been aware of.  
“Put the guitar down,” Clara told him gently.  
The Doctor looked at her in confusion. “Why?” he asked warily.  
“Because I want to kiss you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so, so much for the comments!!!


	24. Chapter 24

The Doctor knew that his doubts and his worries and his insecurities had been completely unjustified as he sank down on top of her and Clara kissed him with a passion that told him everything he needed to know about her feelings for him. They soon fell back into the pattern that they had already established the night he had been to her flat, kissing without the intention to ever part lips again except for when they needed air. He closed his arms around her, pulling Clara as close to his own body as possible and she hooked her fingers into his curls to stop him from going anywhere. Right now there was nothing he wanted more than to be with her, to sink into her because his body was responding to her already and they had waited long enough. He had been waiting, or rather hoping, for this ever since she had stepped into his lecture.  
The Doctor's lips left hers to trail along her jawline and down her neck and he noticed again how lovely her perfume smelled right there when she moaned softly and guided him deeper down her chest. His hands found the hemline of her dress and once Clara had realized what he was attempting to do she sat up, helping him to get rid of her clothes and then his own. He was so glad that Clara immediately reached out to unbutton his shirt because his hands were trembling a little and his eyes were so fixed on the woman in front of him who was now completely naked.  
Clara paused to look at him once she had slipped the shirt down his shoulders. “Is everything alright?” she asked kindly.  
Swallowing hard, he nodded. “You're beautiful.”  
Suddenly Clara started to giggle. “So are you,” she said as she raised her hand to his chest and caressed it softly with her fingers, playing around the few silver hairs growing out of his skin here and there. And then he noticed her gaze drop to his trousers where his erection was already rubbing against the fabric. Before he knew what was happening she had dropped both her hands to his belt and started to open it, the thought of her so close to the centre of his arousal making his cock twitch in excitement and want for her. Clara smiled once she had pulled down his trousers and underpants, leaving him completely bare in front of her.  
“Oh, Clara,” he muttered when she wrapped her hand around his half erect member, her touch so firm and yet still gentle and above all foreign and new that it didn't take more than a couple of strokes to make him feel as if the rest of his blood had left his brain entirely.  
“I like the way you feel,” she admitted with a sigh, smiling while she ran her thumb over his tip, causing him to wince, “And I can't wait.”  
Suddenly her hand was gone and the Doctor was aching for her touch when he was pushed and fell backwards into the sheets before Clara straddled his lap. He was so close to her and yet light years away and all he could think about was how crazy he was about her and how badly he wanted her right now.  
He raised his hand to her sex and carefully slid a finger between her folds at which Clara muttered a moan as she pushed herself against his hand. Oh God, how wet she was and how he was dying to be inside of her.  
“I want you,” she whimpered, grinding against his palm as his finger dug into her and suddenly she reached down and took him into her hand. His hands settled on her hips when Clara positioned herself and lowered herself down on top of him.  
The Doctor couldn't help but let out a groan as he slid inside of her, her tightness and her heat almost overwhelming him before she started moving. He used his hands on her hips to guide her but he knew that it was pointless. Right now Clara was so utterly in control of him that he couldn't do a thing, he was completely at her mercy.  
“I was right,” she keened on top of him, “You do feel good.”  
The Doctor moaned as she tightened her walls around him on purpose when he dove back into her wetness. She could do anything to him right now and he would allow it as long as she didn't stop. The tension building inside of him seemed almost too much to take. His hand found its way back to her clit, rubbing his finger between her folds to her rhythm and she gasped at the sensation and began to pick up pace. He couldn't quite decide whether he wanted to close his eyes and lean back or look at her as she rode him, her face flushed in arousal and her breasts bouncing but when she drove herself down harder his eyes snapped shut in pleasure and he couldn't hold back the groan. Knowing that he was only seconds away from being overcome by ecstasy he pressed his finger harder against her clit and when Clara's breath became audible over his own and her walls clenched around him he let her drag him over the edge and he spilled himself inside of her with a deep and satisfied moan.

Clara was panting when she fell into the sheets next to him and the Doctor bent over to her side to kiss her briefly, the need for air now greater than his desire to kiss her. For a long moment they were just lying next to each other, waiting for their breath to return to normal when suddenly Clara started to giggle.  
“What's so funny?” the Doctor asked her in amusement, turning around to face her.  
“ _You_ , you idiot,” she nudged him gently, “You had no reason to be scared _at all_.”  
“Well,” he tried to defend himself, “I know that _now_ but-”  
He wasn't able to finish his sentence when Clara locked their lips in another kiss that he was only too ready to yield to.  
“I don't know about you,” she said when they both came up for air, “But I'm kinda hungry now.”  
“Do you want to cook or order pizza and relax on the sofa?”  
Clara smiled at him. “The second option sounds perfect.”

 

* * *

 

The Doctor was rudely woken by the sound of his alarm but once he heard another voice he realized that it did sound differently from his usual alarm and he opened his eyes to see Joe standing over his bed.  
“You do not bring students into this home!” Joe exclaimed, laughing while he was ringing a bell that the Doctor knew belonged into the kitchen.  
“Get out!” he grumbled sleepily and now even Clara was beginning to stir in his arms.  
Joe continued to laugh but retreated and soon the Doctor could hear the bedroom door close behind him. With a frustrated groan he sank back into the pillows as Clara struggled to sit up and look at him. His spirits lifted as soon as he saw her because even with her make up smudged all around her eyes and her wild bed hair she was still the most beautiful thing that had happened to him in a very long time and suddenly it didn't really matter anymore that his friend thought it was a laughing matter.  
“Nice flatmate,” Clara commented with a giggle before she sank back down and rested her head on his chest.  
Again the Doctor groaned, closing his arms around the woman by his side. “Don't get me started on Joe and, please, let's just pretend that never happened.”  
“What about last night? Do you want to pretend that never happened either?”  
“Absolutely not,” he said and kissed her head, “If I could I would shout it out into the world because I've got the most wonderful woman on Earth in my arms and I'm never letting her go.”  
Clara giggled once more. “Maybe you shouldn't shout it out while you're on campus though.”  
He sighed, having forgotten for a moment why their relationship was secret and why it was complicated and he didn't reply. Instead he pulled Clara closer to his chest because sooner or later he would have to let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, the moment you've all been waiting for XD Thank you all so much for the comments!


	25. Chapter 25

Saying goodbye to the Doctor in the car after he had driven her home was hard but she had to go to school tomorrow and there were still 20 tests lying on her desk at home, waiting to be graded and yet as they were kissing in the car her lips just couldn't seem to pull away from his.  
“I need to grade some tests,” Clara said in annoyance when they eventually came up for air.  
“And I have a lecture to prepare for,” the Doctor admitted, smiling sadly.  
She hesitated for a moment, trying to find the words to ask the question that had been on her mind since last night but she didn't quite know how to.  
“You and me, we're good, right?” she finally asked, “I mean. . . I want to be with you and you want to be with me, but-”  
The Doctor shook his head. “No more buts. Joe was right about one thing. I finally found someone I love and I would be a complete idiot if I didn't go for it. I know it's not allowed and I know we'll have to be careful not to get caught but I think. . . why are you smiling?”  
Clara hadn't even realized that she was but now she started giggling. “You said you love me,” she remarked.  
“Yes?” he asked carefully.  
She cupped his face in her hand and pulled him down for another, short kiss. “I love you, too,” she said, “And you're right. We'll just have to be careful but it's not that bad. We can make it and who knows, if my grades continue to be good I might finish earlier and then we can officially be together.”  
“I like the sound of that,” he smiled broadly at her, “Will we see each other tomorrow? We could go to my place again and I'll give you a lift in the morning?”  
“Perfect,” Clara replied and pecked him on the lips once more, “See you tomorrow.”

Once Clara had closed the door behind her she started to giggled. She was officially dating the Doctor now, her professor and she should probably be feeling at least a tiny bit guilty because it was forbidden and they were breaking the rules but if she was completely honest the only thing she felt was happiness.  
When her phone buzzed in her pocket Clara retrieved it and immediately spotted Amy's name on the screen.  
“Oh, you're alive!” Amy said sarcastically.  
“Yes,” Clara confirmed with a giggle, “Yes, I am. Sorry. I was with _my new boyfriend_.”  
She couldn't help but sound proud and happy at the same time and she thought she had every reason to. The odds had been so against them with Missy and his insecurities but they had overcome them all.  
“The guy from university? Clara, tell me _everything_!”  
“Only if you can keep a secret.”  
Amy sighed on the other end of the line while Clara sank down on her sofa. “It's Professor Smith. Your new boyfriend is _the Doctor_!”  
“How did you know?” Clara asked in confusion, “Is is that obvious?”  
“Only to me, don't worry. I knew you had a crush on him! I just knew it!”  
“It has to remain a secret though! No one else can know. If Missy finds out he can pack up his office and that's the last thing I want. He's risking a lot to be with me.”  
“Well, that only shows he really cares about you,” her friend commented and it made Clara smile again.  
“Yeah, I guess it does.”  
“Are you happy?” Amy asked after a moment.  
“I am,” Clara confirmed.

 

* * *

 

“Clara Oswald,” Joe chuckled when the Doctor stepped back inside the house, “You're definitely getting coal for Christmas, naughty bastard!”  
“If I'm getting coal,” the Doctor said, sinking down on the sofa next to his friend, “Santa is going to send you into the deepest mines and make you dig up the coal yourself.”  
His remark made Joe laugh but eventually he nodded in agreement. “So, you and Clara are an item now, I take it?”  
The Doctor nodded.  
“And all of that after your giant fuck up. I'm impressed. She must really like you.”  
“Well, I like her too and if you keep your mouth shut about it we can continue to like each other in secret until she graduates.”  
“Don't worry about me. I've got my own secrets that I need you to keep especially now.”  
The Doctor raised his eyebrows, looking at Joe but whatever it was that he hadn't told him yet his face gave nothing away.  
“Especially now? What does that mean?”  
Suddenly Joe began to grin. “I ran into Missy yesterday and I think she might not hate me so much anymore.”  
“What?” the Doctor asked in surprise but was interrupted when Yoko suddenly jumped into his lap and started to make herself comfortable.  
“Yeah. _She_ approached _me_ actually when I was at that bar. We talked. It was good _and_ we've got a date tomorrow.”  
“ _No way!_ ”  
“Oh yes, I have got a date with Missy tomorrow,” he said proudly.  
For a moment the Doctor could hardly believe it. Missy had hated him from the very beginning so these news came as more than a surprise to him.  
“Well, I guess I'll wish you luck then,” the Doctor replied, still a little uncertain.  
“Thanks, mate,” Joe said, nudging the Doctor's arm, “I guess for once we'll both get what we want. Now I only need to remember not to screw it up like you almost did.”  
“Thanks for the reminder,” the Doctor replied grumpily though he didn't quite know what he was grumpy about. In the end in had all worked out.  
“So, should I try bringing her flowers again?” Joe asked, “I know they weren't received so well when I just left them in her office.”  
The Doctor snorted. “Have you considered the possibility that she didn't mind the flowers as much as the fact that you broke into her office?”  
“I have actually,” Joe confirmed.  
“Good,” the Doctor said, “Buy her flowers. As long as you don't break into her flat to leave them there she should like them.”

The Doctor gently placed Yoko on the pillow next to him and rose from the couch, determined to head towards the shower when his friend suddenly spoke again. He turned around too look at Joe.  
“I have a good feeling,” he said, nodding to himself, “About Missy. About you and Clara. I think we deserve this. And when things with Missy do kick off I think I should go looking for my own place, like this nice little house two streets from here.”  
The Doctor couldn't help but laugh. “Oh, you mean the boring house in the boring neighbourhood?” he asked and turned back around to walk upstairs. But Joe was definitely right. It seemed that they were all getting what they wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so, so, sooooooooooo much for the comments!


	26. Chapter 26

“Wanna go to bed?” the Doctor asked, giggling, once their lips parted. They had been lying on the sofa for hours and the film they had been watching was long over and yet they couldn't find the willpower to stop kissing and actually move upstairs.  
With a sigh Clara rested her head on his chest. “Only if you carry me.”  
“Carry you?” he laughed, “Honey, if I carry you, you'll have to carry me to the hospital next. I'm afraid my back won't be able to take that.”  
“Hey, I'm not that heavy,” Clara protested, pinching his belly a little through his shirt as revenge to which the Doctor only laughed more.  
“I know you're not,” he kissed her forehead softly and closed his arms around her. Lying here with Clara was like a dream come true and a part of him somehow still couldn't believe it.  
“How did you convince Joe to leave us alone for another night?”  
“I didn't even have to,” the Doctor replied, “Joe is on a date tonight. With _Missy_.”  
Suddenly Clara sat up and stared at him in disbelief and the Doctor was sure that was about the same expression that had been on his face when Joe had first told him about his crush on Missy.  
“ _Joe and Missy?!_ ” Clara gawked at him, “I thought they hated each other.”  
“They did, or at least Missy hated Joe but they ran into each other and-” the Doctor suddenly stopped to pull Clara closer again, “Does it really matter? Can't we just be thankful to have the house to ourselves?”  
She smiled at him in reply. “Of course we can,” she said and leaned forward to lock their lips again and when the Doctor sank back onto the sofa with Clara on top of him he was so lost in her touch that he barely noticed the door opening.

“Well, there's a surprise!”  
The Doctor and Clara both shot up immediately and to his horror he realized that Joe hadn't come home alone but in the company of Missy.  
“Dude!” Joe exclaimed, “I thought you were alone!”  
“Obviously I'm not,” the Doctor sat up straight while Clara next to him hurried to button her blouse back up that had come undone at some point.  
“You knew about this?” Missy asked curiously, turning towards Joe again.  
“We can explain,” Clara suddenly said, “Please. Just listen to us.”  
“Oh yes, the Doctor will explain himself to me. Tomorrow morning in my office,” she said before facing Joe, “I think we should reschedule the rest of the night. I'm free during the weekend.”  
The Doctor watched while Joe nodded.  
“Good. I'll take the Tube home,” Missy said and was already halfway to the door before she turned around again, looking straight at the Doctor, “Let me just say that I would have expected this from any of the professors. But not from you.”

As soon as the door closed behind her Joe hurried towards the sofa.  
“Doctor, I am seriously and terribly sorry. I had no idea Clara would be here tonight. I swear, if I had known-”  
“You couldn't have cause I didn't tell you. It's not your fault,” the Doctor replied. Maybe after the shock of what had just happened had subsided he would start to blame Joe at least a little but right now he couldn't bring himself to. It all seemed to be nothing but an unfortunate chain of events.  
“But I could have warned you that I might bring Missy home!”  
He snorted. “Even if you had I would have never believed you. Joe, it's not your fault. It really isn't.”  
“What are you gonna do now?” Clara suddenly asked very quietly and when the Doctor looked at her she seemed utterly miserable.  
Gently he reached out to take her hand. “Don't worry. I'll think of something.”  
The Doctor rose from the couch and pulled Clara up after him. “Let's just go to bed now. There's nothing we can do before tomorrow morning and you don't need to worry about anything anyway. This is my mess.”  
“But-”  
This time it was the Doctor who silenced her with a short kiss.  
“Are you sure you don't want me to leave?”  
“Never,” he confirmed.

 

* * *

 

Clara couldn't take it. Even though she had promised the Doctor to stay out of it and to leave it all to him she waited around the corner until he had left Missy's office to go and talk to her. After a short knock she entered the room and found Missy behind her desk.  
“Ah, Clara,” she said upon seeing her, “I'm assuming you've come to change my mind about firing the Doctor.”  
Clara cleared her throat and stood up straight. So she had already made up her mind about firing him, that was anything but good news.  
“Yes,” Clara said, “I don't see why he would have to lose his job over me. We're both adults, we both love each other and he is professional enough not to let that get into the way of his teaching. He's a great professor. No, in fact, he's the best. And it's absolutely unfair that he shouldn't be allowed to have both.”  
“I agree.”  
Clara opened her mouth to say more but paused when what Missy had said started to seep through to her brain. A frown spread over her face. “You agree?” she asked in disbelief.  
“Yes. Trust me, losing the Doctor as a professor at this university is the last thing I want. I thought about it last night and offered him a new contract that wouldn't include the clause about relationships with his students but he declined!”  
“He did what? Why would he do such a thing?”  
Missy smiled at her. “Because he's an idiot, always has been. Now, I suggest you go and talk to him because I have some more work to do.”  
Slowly Clara nodded and left her office, still utterly confused about what was going on and so she made her way straight to the Doctor's office, which she entered without knocking. 

“What were you thinking?!” she asked him immediately when she saw him at his desk.  
“Hey Clara,” he smiled at her, “What's wrong?”  
For a moment Clara could do nothing but stare at him. The Doctor didn't seem sad or confused or angry or anything except content.  
“You declined Missy's offer about changing your contract. What's going on? What does that mean?”  
The Doctor sighed but the smile remained on his lips the entire time. “The old contract is right. A professor shouldn't be in a relationship with one of his students no matter how sincere they both are and no matter how serious it is. It's just not right. When I was grading your essay I was trying so hard to be objective and I think I gave you the grade you deserve but objectivity shouldn't be that hard and I am most certainly not giving you up because of my job. You mean too much to me.”  
“So you're giving your job up _for me_?”  
“Not quite,” he said, “I'm not having as much fun as I used to, I've noticed that even before we met and I think a break would do me good. You were right, I should write another book, or at least try to. I can always return to teaching, either here or at a different university. I will finish this semester and we should probably try to keep a low profile as long as I'm still here but I think it's the best solution.”  
The Doctor made a gesture for her to come closer and after taking a few steps Clara sat down on his lap while he closed his arms around her.  
“Are you happy with your decision?” Clara asked. She just needed to know. After all she was the reason he had gotten into this mess in the first place.  
“Absolutely,” he replied.  
Clara took a deep breath. “Good,” she said, “I still don't think it's fair that Joe has been sleeping around forever and it's you they catch at the first attempt.”  
The Doctor chuckled. “If Missy is stupid enough to take him I think Joe's wild days will be over. And he also decided to move out. I think he deserves a bit of luck. He's not always a jerk, you know.”  
“I know,” Clara replied and suddenly burst into laughter. “Joe and Missy, it seems ridiculous.”  
The Doctor shrugged. “To some others _we_ might seem ridiculous. The idiot and the school teacher.”  
She smiled kindly at him. “You're not an idiot, not always.”  
As Clara bent down to kiss him she felt again overwhelmed by happiness because even though he sometimes truly was an idiot, the only important thing was that he was _her_ idiot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to everyone who followed and read and commented on this story! It makes me so happy to know that my fics are loved are your comments are life!!! Thank you so much for that!!! I can't tell you how much that means to me!  
> I have a new Whouffaldi fic in the works already, which is a Hippie AU but I can't start posting immediately. First of all it's going to need a little more planning and second, I am looking at a stressful couple of weeks at work which will end after the 3rd of April when inventory is finally over. I will probably start posting then but I might throw in a oneshot ;)


End file.
